[Dual Leveling!] Solo Leveling X Male Reader

Dual Awakening [4]

Within the Dual Dungeon wasn't (Y/n)'s first experience with the mysterious floating text. His first experience was three years ago, about a year after he first became an E-Rank Hunter.

On a bright and sunny day, (Y/n) barreled through the streets, barely avoiding the passerby on his journey to his destination, the current raid site of the Hunters Guild.

"C'mon... c'mon...! It's only ten minutes from here, but I'm still five minutes late! I won't make it at this rate...!" (Y/n) panted, sweat falling from his chin as he desperately gasped for air. He dashed with everything he had, ignoring the troubled gazes of the nearby civilians. "How do I get there on time?"

The frantic E-Rank Hunter slid to a stop at an alleyway, quickly turning on a dime and taking a shortcut through the tight pathway.

"Okay, I'll move in a straight line then! No point in thinking twice about it!" (Y/n) barely avoided a trashcan, only to stumble over a glass bottle. He stumbled his way out of the alleyway, only to head the insistent honking of incoming traffic.

(Y/n) barely moved out of the way, rolling onto the opposing sidewalk with a coughing apology.

"Sorry!" He apologized once more before running his hand across his head and continuing to sprint through the backstreets of Seoul. He got two blocks away before he could see the purple Gate swirling in the distance.

"Yes! And I'm still a few minutes early because of the shortcuts!" (Y/n) pumped a tired fist into the air, holding his other hand on his knee and taking a moment to catch his breath. After a moment, he wiped away the sweat on his forehead, straightened out his shirt, and continued towards the Gate.

"This is the day that'll change everything! All I need to do is―" (Y/n) was cut off by a feminine shriek nearby. There were definitely words being said, but (Y/n) couldn't hear what they were exactly. "—make it to the Gate."

(Y/n) sighed, biting his lip as he looked around for the location of the scream.

"Surely the other Hunters could've heard that, right?" (Y/n) laughed nervously, his eyes frantically darting around to find his target. Soon enough, he landed on it, an orange-haired woman clearly being badgered by a black-haired man in the unclean remains of an old park.

The E-Rank Hunter didn't know what to do. He knew he wasn't a hero, and he knew that he had to become a miner for his family, for his ill mother and his sister. But he also knew that he was an Awakened, and no matter how weak he was, that meant he had an edge in fights when compared to normal human beings.

He could see the expressions of the patient Hunters from afar. They weren't troubled, nor were they anxious. It was as if they were completely ignorant to the scream that only occurred a block away from them.

He had to get to the raid on time, but he also wanted to help the woman out. Between one step and the next he debated his options, noting the importance of what he wanted and what he needed, trying to find a way to hit two birds with one stone.

"Ah, that's a way!" Feeling stupid, (Y/n) slapped himself on his forehead before breaking out into a sprint, running towards the raid location.

As soon as he started hearing the miners' conversation, he drew in a large breath.

"Hey, Hunter (Y/n) Sung is here! Don't enter without me! There's a thug a block away!" (Y/n) yelled, skidding to a quick stop when he saw some surprised and confused expressions. He turned as soon as he stopped sliding and started dashing towards where he saw the thug and woman last.

The E-Rank Hunter didn't think what he'd done was the most clever or suave way of doing things, but he recognized it as enough to solve the problem, so he accepted it regardless. He needed to tell the miners that he was present, while also warning the thug that he knew of his presence, and saying that he was a Hunter as well, just in hopes of scaring off the thug without a problem. His comment handled all three of those things at once, even if it was a bit inelegant.