The World's Strongest Faker

A Memory Before the Fight

Friday morning, year 2140.

The Hunters Guild Building in the Central Business District is starkly silent in contrast to the bustle of weekdays.

Outside are full of hunters donning their chain-mails, chest plate, wielding swords, and the like. It seems as though they are waiting for something.

Near the entrance, by the door, there is a bulletin board where everyone was staring blankly at. Ernest, who was curious about what's going on, slipped and squeezed through the people. Finally, he was able to see what they were looking at.

[Rift raid: D-Tier dungeon. Recommended Adventurer's rank: E and above Rank Hunter. The maximum number of people allowed: 8.]

"Rift raid!" Ernest's eyes glistened as he read those words. Rift raids are one of the most profitable rifts compared to solo rifts. One rift raid is equivalent to four solo rifts.

"This is it!" Ernest beamed joyously as his opportunity came. "If I were to team up with hunters here, maybe I can pay my sister's school fees. I'll just need to team up—"

At that moment, Ernest's joyous face turned pale in an instant as he saw every hunter grouping with each other and entering the building, no one approached or grouped with him.

Of course, no one would approach him. It was common sense to him. No, to everyone in the hunter business. But still, he needs to try, if he doesn't then her sister will be forcibly kicked out of school for not paying on the due date.

He mustered his courage, even if he were to fall in shame again, he has to try.

Luckily, there's still an incomplete group from the distance not far from him.

"Uhm...is your group lacking? I can fill in if you want?" Ernest asked.

"Huh? Who would like to team up with you? You useless piece of s**t, you'll just drag us down."

"Go find someone else!"

Understandable.

Ernest approached another group party.

This time, he's met with the same ridicule and condescending remarks.

"What makes you think that you can join us? You're weakling, you'll just get carried and I hate those types of people. Why don't you just give up on being a hunter? You're not even a Daeva. What can you possibly do anyway?" shunned the man.

"That's right brother! Why don't you just accept the fact that you're a piece of s**t? Even ants would have more value than you. You being born in this world is a mistake! Your father should've wiped you off in the blanket!"

The group that was making fun of him burst into mocking laughter. Anyone who had heard their conversation joined up and laughed alongside.

As expected, this is what he'll get from asking for such an offer. Ernest Hawke, being the lowest-ranked in the Hunters Guild, this is the treatment he'll get.

Respect is based on rankings, even if you're in the same class, you'll get treated based on what rank you are in a certain category.

The weak prey on the weak. That's just how the cycle works in this world. It's basic human nature. And it's also one of the aspects Ernest hated the most.

He could've punched this guy if he wanted to for being a jerk, but he knew that he could only do it in his dream or imagination, not in reality. After all, he is the weakest of all.

If only he had some talents besides working as a hunter, he would take it. But there is none, and even if there's one, it won't be enough. He's only good at fighting, he didn't even make it past high school.

He doesn't want her sister, who's only his remaining family to end up like him.

What's more, respect also comes with race. That's right, a race called Daeva emerged after the Great Cataclysm, an event where Rifts appeared in this world which now became dungeons where hunters make a living.

Daeva is like the gifted, blessed, humans in this world, allowing them to surpass the limits of humanity. Casting magic is one of its examples.

Tears began to form in the corners of his eyes, those who were laughing at him stopped as they witnessed an interesting development.

"Oi! Look at this guy! He is crying."

"What a wimp! He sure is the lowest of the lowest!"

The group burst into laughter again.

"Maybe he realized how worthless he really is in this world. Ernest was it? You're such a pain in the ass. Your very existence annoys me. Not everyone around is annoyed by your existence. Why don't you just die?"

At those words, Ernest felt the time around him stop.

"Why do I have to live this kind of life? Why am I being treated worse than trash? Am I really that of a joke? They are just a bunch of jerks who are in the same category as mine but their rankings are high...why do they treat me as if they are in A or S class?"

He clenched his fist at those thoughts, "Even if this is the reality, should it continue just like this? It's so cruel to the likes of me…I f*****g hate this reality! f**k the weak prey to the strong...If not only from that orb that dictates a person's life.

The orb is a device used to measure the strength and capability of one person. One of the requirements is to become a hunter. The orb decides how you get treated in society. Ernest was only one point above the threshold, one might say he was lucky but to him, it was a torment.

After all, he is a human, not a Daeva blessed with a mysticQ force known as Mana.

He won't be forced into this industry if he just followed her mother's dying request. After her death, he became the breadwinner of the family, earning money from, delivery man, street sweeping, a crew in a fast-food chain, anything where he could earn. But they are not enough so he was forced into this hunting business where he ventures beyond the rift filled with perilous obstacles where it's a high-risk high reward game.

'I'm sorry, Leigh. For being a brother to you...Sorry for being weak and worthless. If only I was blessed like the others—I"

He wiped his tears off his face with the back of his hand. Reminded by reality and struck in realization, he still needs to do something.

"Done crying? Go home and go back to your mama! Oops, I forgot, you don't have a mother!"

The crowds laughed at him again. Until…

"Hey, boss! We're one guy short!"

The laughing stopped as the man who was called boss glanced at one of his subordinates.

"What do you mean we're one guy short? I thought we only needed eight members?"

"Well, the requirements changed at the last minute so…"

The boss gritted his teeth in annoyance, "They only have one job. f**k it, do we have any hunter that could fill in?"

"Unfortunately, there is none. Most of them already have a group."

"WHAT?" The boss looked around his surroundings, the streets which were once full of congregated hunters were turned into ghost towns. The only person in the area is the man they are shunning, Ernest.

The boss grinned, "Well well. Looks like you're in luck!"

"What do you mean?" Ernest asked.

"You want to go on a raid right? But no one accepts you because you're weak. But today you got lucky because we're short one guy. Mind filling up the seat?"

The man called the boss who was talking s**t out of him and was now offering him a spot in his group, outrageous. Ernest knew he was a jerk and he needed money to pay his sister's tuition fees. Ernest clicked his tongue, having no choice but to accept the offer of a man who just belittled him earlier.

Ernest puffed his chest and answered. "Okay, I'm in."

"Okay good! So here's what you're going to do. First, you stay out of our way, secondly, don't drag us down, third, just watch from the side, and fourth, you pick up all the magic shards. In short, you do nothing other than looting shards, Is that understood?"

Such a favorable condition, even if he didn't do anything in the raid, he would be paid handsomely. There's no other reason to deny it.

"Okay."

…