A clear sky, warm sunlight filtering through the clouds—the atmosphere here spoke for itself.

Ha Gangwoo followed behind Antero, taking in his surroundings.

Well-laid stone paths and stretches of grass gave the place the feel of a pristine park.

Ha Gangwoo clenched his fist tight, steeling his resolve.

‘This is it. The real final.’

Once this tournament was over, he’d likely be heading outside.

‘I wonder what rank I’ll get.’

A sudden curiosity struck him.

Back when he first entered the Tower, he’d have been content with a C rank. But his scores so far had been far too good.

[Floor 1: SS Rank]

[Floor 2: A Rank]

[Floor 3: SSS Rank]

[Floor 4: S Rank]

Almost every rank was pushing toward S, and even the average value surpassed S Rank.

A vague sense of anticipation rose within him.

Thump-thump—

‘This is just the beginning.’

From now on, there was only one thing to think about.

‘I’ll save Jiyeon.’

He would devote himself entirely to bringing his dead sister back to life.

If he got an S rank, money would be no worry at all.

Good guilds would keep sending him love calls—he’d just have to choose wisely.

What he needed next was information.

Whether skills capable of resurrecting people existed, how many Players might hold such potential—questions piled up like a mountain.

And to obtain that much information, he needed power.

‘For now, focus on the tournament.’

That meant treating the current tournament with the weight it deserved.

The System was a place of sure rewards — and for the winner, there’d be something to match the effort.

It already looked promising enough, but coasting wasn’t in his nature.

He’d just give it everything.

Ha Gangwoo’s expression turned cold as he looked over his shoulder.

‘What the…’

Behind him stood only Lee Ayeon and the demon. No other participants had shown up.

‘Three people—that’s it?’

A flicker of doubt crossed Gangwoo’s mind. Then it struck him — one person was missing.

‘Come to think of it, where’s Chae Seohyun? Did she stay on the 4th floor? I didn’t see her on the 5th.’

He’d covered every training hall on that floor.

And with that Angel Ring floating above her head, she’d be impossible to miss. Yet he hadn’t spotted her anywhere.

‘Did something happen?’

Just as Gangwoo sank into thought,

Lee Ayeon peeked her head around and spoke up.

“What’s up? Looking for someone? Wait—don’t tell me,* Unni?*”

“…”

Sharp as mind-reading — and it caught him off guard — but Gangwoo ignored her and started walking.

Ayeon filled the silence on her own.

“Seohyun *Unni* said her goal was always the 5th floor. Soon as we got here, she asked to be sent back outside. Said she was out of time, or something?”

Gangwoo turned his head and met her eyes.

She tapped her lips with her index finger, a playful smile curling in her eyes.

“She asked to be sent back outside?”

Gangwoo let the question hang. There was only one way to leave — and that meant—

“Right,”

“I killed her for you~!”

Ayeon delivered the answer with that same crinkled smile, and something about it sent a chill down his spine.

“I see.”

Gangwoo screwed up his face, then fixed his gaze straight ahead.

But Chae Seohyun stuck in his head.

An S-Rank Trait, body regeneration — somehow, she felt like a clue to *Resurrection* itself.

‘Maybe I should look for her once I’m outside?’

Just as the thought settled, Antero stopped walking.

They stood inside a sprawling building — a waiting area lined with all kinds of weapons on display.

Antero’s hollow eyes fixed ahead as he spoke.

“Three participants. Lowest count since the tournament started.”

He scratched the back of his head and continued.

“Well, a quick finish works for me. Let’s get started. Three’s a weird number, but I’ll handle it on my own authority.”

*Snap.* He flicked his fingers, and the bracket appeared.

*Ding~!*

[Ha Gangwoo] vs [Kang Seongbin]

[Lee Ayeon] — Bye!

Antero pointed at the bracket.

“Had to give one person a free pass by default. It’s random, so if you don’t like it — keep it to yourself.”

He swept his gaze over Gangwoo, Ayeon, and Seongbin — then raised his right hand.

“Questions? Raise your hand.”

Lee Ayeon shot her hand up, but Antero spun on his heel.

“No questions. Let’s begin.”

Crack! Antero snapped his fingers again.

With a long, grinding creak, the massive doors swung open.

“Seriously? He always does this.”

Ayeon clicked her tongue, putting on an air of innocence.

“Huff… huff…”

Kang Seongbin wore an inexplicable smile.

Antero’s sharp eyes swept over them, then fixed on one spot.

“Hmph…”

That spot held a demon with a colossal frame and two enormous horns.

Antero’s expression turned cold.

‘He brought an intriguing one.’

And so the tournament began.

***

A low murmur rippled through the crowd.

About a hundred people clustered around the tournament arena—all of them players who’d given up on competing.

“Ah~ such a waste. If I’d just entered, I’d have been top four for sure! Normally at least forty or fifty people sign up. What’s up with today?”

“You gotta ask? With the guy who made Antero look like a fool, and Lee Ayeon here? I nearly pissed myself the second I locked eyes with that demon.”

Everyone clicked their tongues, regretting not getting into the tournament.

They were gathered around the arena, buzzing with chatter, when—

A system window materialized.

Ding~!

The bracket is now open.

[Ha Gangwoo] vs [Kang Seongbin]

[Lee Ayeon] advances by default!

“Oh?!”

They all stared at the bracket, intrigued.

“Ha Gangwoo? Is he the one who made Antero look like a fool?”

“Looks like it. But Kang Seongbin… that’s the Ranker’s son, right?”

“Yeah, I saw him fighting Antero earlier. The guy’s a complete psycho.”

Only three people had entered.

Still, with powerhouses well beyond Tutorial level in the mix, the onlookers—though disappointed they couldn’t join—found their own kind of entertainment.

“Who do you think’ll win?”

“Who else? Ha Gangwoo, obviously. Beating Antero is insane, and he did it across the whole map. Dude’s a madman.”

“Nah~ I think Seongbin might take it. He’s Kang Hocheol’s son—rank 9 in the world. And from what I saw, his Trait’s similar. Demon-Trait PVP is top-tier.”

Somewhere along the way, the regret had faded, replaced by genuine excitement for the fight.

One of them, Jo Seunghyun, clenched both fists, waiting for the tournament to start.

‘Kang Seongbin in the very first round… At least it’s not Lee Ayeon.’

Both contestants were formidable opponents.

Seunghyun, in particular, knew Kang Seongbin well.

The reason was simple.

They had been classmates at the same academy.

By graduation, Seongbin’s overwhelming talent had all but secured him a spot in the Association.

A man whose talent was backed by his Trait, his family—there was nothing he lacked.

And today, he understood it for certain.

Back when they graduated the Academy, that summit had felt almost within reach.

But today, watching Kang Seongbin take the second trial against Antero, he felt it.

‘He’s strong.’

A realm he could never touch, no matter how hard he struggled or clawed. That was it.

Jo Seunghyun pulled a candy from his Inventory and popped it into his mouth.

‘Still… hyung-nim will win.’

Jo Seunghyun knew perfectly well how pointless his worry was.

Because Ha Gangwoo was more extraordinary and powerful than any Player he’d ever met.

*Clink.* Seunghyun rolled the candy across his tongue, his face scrunching.

‘Why am I this uneasy?’

But for some reason he couldn’t explain, goosebumps kept rising all over his body.

It was right as Jo Seunghyun felt that inexplicable dread that—

*Ding~!!!*

*[The Tournament will now begin!!!]*

The System chime rang out, and at the same instant—

Both players stepped up onto the ring.

***

“Huuuh…”

Ha Gangwoo steadied his breathing and reached out a hand.

*Shliiick—*

Celeritra coiled into his grasp and materialized.

*Creak.* The fabric wrapped around the hilt gave a reassuring grip.

Gangwoo climbed onto the ring and looked around. A spacious square ring—it made him think of a ropeless fighting pit.

Kang Seongbin appeared before him.

“Haaah… haaah…”

Seongbin’s breath came ragged. A green aura spread around his body.

He must have pulled out a few of the sealing stakes.

‘Why would he go that far?’

Kang Seongbin—whatever his Trait was, it clearly devoured the mind.

Opening his Trait on purpose before the fight even started, driving himself to the brink—Gangwoo couldn’t understand it.

The moment Gangwoo sank into thought—

Antero stood at the center of the arena. Then he spoke, low and even.

“I’ll give you the simple rule.”

*Snap.* Antero flicked his fingers, and a single System window appeared before Gangwoo.

*[Victory Condition: Opponent’s Death]*

Just one System window.

There were no other rules.

Antero broke into a thin grin and continued.

“Then, have at it.”

With those words, Antero vanished in an instant.

*Hwoong—*

A desolate breeze grazed Gangwoo’s cheek.

The sunlight, so warm just moments ago, somehow felt cold now.

The reason was the man blazing with rage right before his eyes: Kang Seongbin.

*Sliiick—* Seongbin began pulling a stake from his own shoulder.

“Lucky we met in the first round.”

Seongbin’s voice rang out, eerie as though laced with a strange metallic scrape.

“A little longer and I think I’d have gone crazy.”

*Clang!*

The stake struck the floor. At that moment—

A green flame roared over Kang Seongbin’s body, then fizzled into a horn-shape on his right temple.

Ha Gangwoo watched, a grin spreading across his face.

‘Didn’t I say I owed him a debt?’

He really did intend to repay that debt as an enemy.

Ha Gangwoo wore a faint smile as he lowered his stance.

‘This should be interesting.’

Kang Seongbin.

He hadn’t liked him from their first meeting. Grabbing him by the collar right off the bat, staring at him with that strange look.

If Seongbin had been below his level, Gangwoo might have pushed for a confrontation, even if it meant giving up the party.

But in that situation, he’d concluded the best choice was to join Seongbin’s party.

As a result, they cleared an S-Rank Dungeon, and he learned a great deal.

That was why he was so curious now.

‘An S-Rank Trait, huh.’

Ha Gangwoo smacked his lips.

An S-Rank Trait user. Strong enough to trade a few blows with Lucifel.

Kang Seongbin was definitely talent that belonged in the top 0.1%.

‘How long will he last?’

It never occurred to Ha Gangwoo that he might lose.

He was simply curious how long his opponent could hold out.

‘I’m going all out.’

Ooze—

A red aura coiled around Ha Gangwoo’s entire body.

[Attack Stance has been activated.]

[Your next attack will have twice the destructive power.]

[Swift Movements] [ON]

[Increases movement speed by 50%.]

A blue light blazed to life around both his feet.

Just as Ha Gangwoo grinned at Kang Seongbin—

Kang Seongbin took a step forward.

Boom!!

The ground beneath his foot exploded from the sheer force.

Whoosh— In an instant, Seongbin closed the distance and clashed with Gangwoo.

CRASH!!!!

With a massive blast, the first round of the tournament began.

***

“Whoa~…”

Over a hundred players watching the tournament stood with their mouths wide open, staring at the arena.

The reason was none other than Kang Seongbin.

“What the hell… He’s already using Form Change in the Tutorial…”

“Is he insane? How are we supposed to beat that…”

Everyone broke into a cold sweat at the chilling aura radiating from Seongbin’s transformed form.

Jo Seunghyun was no exception. The candy in his mouth dropped to the floor with a soft thud.

“Crazy… Form Change already…”

It was common knowledge that Form Change was something only veteran Rankers could obtain after Awakening. Yet a player still in the Tutorial stage was using it already.

It was truly insane.

‘Is that what my unease was about…?’

Jo Seunghyun unconsciously clenched his fist, staring at the source of the explosion. Thick smoke made the inside invisible.

‘No way… It can’t mean he’s out…’

That persistent ominous feeling kept gnawing at his instincts.

And then it happened.

The dust hissed as it settled, finally revealing the two figures beneath it.

“Huh?!”

In an instant, the spectators began to murmur.

“What… the hell?”

“No way, is that even possible?”

Each of them swallowed dryly at the sight.

“As… as expected of hyung-nim…”

Jo Seunghyun clenched both fists and suppressed a laugh as he watched the scene unfold.

***

Through the thick haze of dust, the silhouette of a man standing. It was none other than Ha Gangwoo.

“Kuaaaaah!”

Kang Seongbin lay sprawled on the ground, thrashing. Both arms were severed, blood spraying upward in a hissing torrent.

Ha Gangwoo pressed his foot down—thud—onto Seongbin’s solar plexus, pinning him in place.

“Kuaaah!”

The more Seongbin struggled, the heavier Gangwoo’s pressure became—crushing him under overwhelming Strength.

Ha Gangwoo stared down at the flailing Kang Seongbin with ice-cold eyes.

‘So this is what they meant by grinding your mind away,’ he thought. ‘Not that impressive.’

Now, he understood clearly.

Seongbin’s Trait: lose your sanity, but grow endlessly stronger.

He’d once thought that was a good deal. But seeing it now, it wasn’t.

Losing one’s self—that was too steep a penalty.

Ha Gangwoo replayed the fight that had just ended.

Kang Seongbin, driven by pure instinct, had charged at him like a beast, swinging his arms with nothing but raw impulse.

Simple, linear attacks—easy to read, easy to predict.

And so, recalling how Antero had swung his sword, Gangwoo slashed—swish—in a clean arc.

Thunk—Seongbin’s arm flew off.

What Seongbin did next was just as simple.

He swung his remaining arm.

Thunk—that arm, too, rolled across the floor without fail.

“Kuaaaaah!”

In that moment, Seongbin, now missing both arms, charged recklessly.

Crack—his open mouth made it obvious what he wanted.

Watching him, Ha Gangwoo realized something.

If Seongbin had still possessed his true self, would he have given up his body so easily? No.

Someone who’d passed Antero’s second test couldn’t have such sloppy swordsmanship.

If he’d charged in with a level head and a greatsword, this would’ve been far harder to handle.

But not now.

The moment Gangwoo’s casually extended foot sent Seongbin crumpling to the ground in disgrace—

—the fight was over.

“Kuaaaaah!”

Kang Seongbin howled pathetically, gnashing his teeth—click, click—together.

He seemed desperate to tear into flesh, but Gangwoo’s pinned foot left him utterly helpless.

‘Time to end this.’

A shame—he’d missed the chance to properly test his power.

‘If he’d been in his right mind, this would’ve been more fun. Too bad.’

With a cold expression, Ha Gangwoo drove his sword downward in a smooth, deliberate thrust.

Thunk—

It drives straight through Kang Seongbin’s forehead and slams into the ground.

“Kuh… huk”

The moment Kang Seongbin lets out a low sob.

Whoosh—flames ripple along the blade, and crackle—it sears Kang Seongbin’s flesh.

“Kuh… huk..”

But Kang Seongbin doesn’t die. Instead, a green aura surges around his body, pulsing.

“Kyaa!!!!”

Kang Seongbin screams as the sealing stake in his shoulder pops out with a clang. Like he’s breaking his own seal.

‘A real monster, no doubt about it.’

Ha Gangwoo watches the scene, a smile curling on his lips.

“Farewell.”

Surge—

A red aura billows around Ha Gangwoo’s body.

[Attack Stance has been activated.]

[Your next attack deals 2x destructive power.]

Ha Gangwoo shifted his weight onto the foot that had been pressing down on Seongbin’s solar plexus.

‘Seismic Stomp.’

Shwoop—

The moment immense pressure floods into his weighted foot.

Crack!!!!!

Along with a thunderous blast.

Crrrrack—the arena floor screams.

At that instant.

Ssshh—Kang Seongbin’s body dissolves into nothing.

Ding~!

[Winner: Ha Gangwoo]

And so the first tournament match ended.