Beneath a clear sky, the laughter of children at play drifted through the air.

Ha Gangwoo sat on a bench in the peaceful park, organizing his thoughts.

‘A guild or the Association…’

Now that he’d even tracked down Chae Seohyun’s whereabouts, it was time to decide for sure.

The two existing organizations were guilds and the Association.

The vibe between them was distinctly different.

Put simply: the Association was humanity’s guardian; guilds were about money.

The Association was founded when humanity was on the verge of extinction.

A gathering of the world’s strongest and brightest—that was the Association.

That’s why they manage the Gaia System and protect humanity.

The downside: compared to guilds, signing bonuses are lower, and you’re given mandatory monthly duties.

But it has its perks too.

For one, it’s free. Beyond mandatory tasks, you can do whatever you want. Plus, tax breaks on system-related matters.

The biggest advantage is the mentorship system.

Most Rankers belong to the Association. That means connections, of course, but also the chance to receive training from people you’d rarely meet otherwise.

Guilds are corporations. They pursue profit through a systematic structure. Which means no freedom.

The moment you level up through that sweet carry system, you’re working your ass off clearing Dungeons and Gates.

Rumor has it they work you hard enough to earn back your signing bonus and then some.

‘Which way do I go.’

Ha Gangwoo stroked his chin, pondering, before reaching a decision.

‘I’ll go with the Association.’

Guilds—plenty appealing organizations.

Big signing bonuses, systematic structure. Tempting. But Gold isn’t priority one right now.

Better to join a group where I can meet plenty of Rankers and that manages the system itself. The Association seemed like the better call.

Plus, Seohyun was with the Association. The chances of running into her were high.

His thoughts settled, Gangwoo got up and stretched his back.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Ha Gangwoo turned his steps toward the Association.

***

Inside a fairly refined auditorium, seven or so players gathered on the antique wooden floor.

One of the men, his face bright with excitement, spoke to the trainee beside him.

“Which Player do you think is coming in? I heard last time a Ranker came in person to teach.”

“Wow, really? If they’re an Association-affiliated Ranker, does that mean Rank 1 is here too?”

“Rank 1 Cha Yuseong? Come on—how busy do you think he is to train new players?”

The people here were fresh players who had just come out of the Tower.

The reason they’d gathered was the process required upon joining the Association.

The man leading the conversation then turned to the man on his right.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what grade did you get?”

A Trait was personal information, but a grade wasn’t. So the man who’d been asked answered readily.

“B-Grade.”

The man who’d asked gasped, making a big show of it with a loud voice.

“Whoa~! Seriously? That’s insane. I’m D-Grade. But why’d you join the Association? I figured guilds would be lining up for you.”

“I’ve got my reasons.”

Even under the barrage of compliments, the B-Grade player frowned as he replied.

That frowning man was none other than Kim Daeseong.

He was the one who’d been cast aside like cold rice because of Ha Gangwoo.

Kim Daeseong gritted his teeth and made a vow.

‘I’ll hit S-Grade right here and now.’

His grade was B-Grade.

At first, Kim Daeseong had been satisfied enough with that. But after seeing the player who got L-Grade, his mind changed.

The Scouters who’d acted like they’d do anything for him.

The moment a better prize appeared, they threw him away like trash.

In that instant, Kim Daeseong had sworn to himself.

‘One way or another, I’ll raise my grade and pay them back with pure bullying.’

That was why Kim Daeseong had come to the Association.

The Association had short contract periods and plenty of freedom.

And if you wanted to grow, there was no place better.

Kim Daeseong recalled that old episode, frowning—but the trainees couldn’t hide their amazement at his grade.

“Whoa~ B-Grade? That’s crazy. What Rank dungeon did you clear on the third floor?”

“I did a B-Rank. But then I ran into this weird bastard in the tournament… Hah. If it hadn’t been for that guy, I might’ve aimed for A-Grade.”

Kim Daeseong voiced his regret, but the trainees all stared with sparkling, envious eyes.

“B-Grade’s still amazing, right? Even in the Association, a B-Grade probably gets good treatment. I’m jealous.”

The barrage of praise restored Kim Daeseong’s confidence. A smile spread across the corners of his mouth.

‘Right! B-Grade’s still damn good. These guys all look like D-Grade at best. Then again, the ones who apply to the Association are all the same rabble.’

Kim Daeseong puffed up, looking down on those around him, and just then—

Thump—

A man stepped into the auditorium.

The noise died in an instant, all eyes locking onto the man who had entered the hall.

“Who’s that? Doesn’t look like a Ranker… too bad.”

“Yeah, no celebrity vibe. But his face seems familiar somehow.”

Disappointment creased the trainees’ faces once they saw he wasn’t any famous Ranker.

Kim Daeseong, himself feeling the letdown, frowned at the man as well.

‘Too bad. Would’ve been nice if he were a Ranker. But… have I seen him before?’

Kim Daeseong studied the man with curiosity. Then, to his surprise, the approaching figure stopped right beside him.

The man was a new Player just like them.

“What? He’s just another rookie.”

“Guess we got worked up for nothing.”

Sighs of relief rippled through the crowd, tension dissolving. They were just about to resume their chatter when—

The hall’s door creaked open, and another man stepped inside.

Standing nearly 190 centimeters tall, with spiky, unruly hair. A strikingly handsome man.

The moment they saw his face, every one of them froze, staring dumbfounded.

Three seconds ticked by.

“Whoa! Holy shit, it’s Cha Yuseong!”

“This is insane. I can’t believe he actually came. I need a—a photo!”

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

The man who had walked in was none other than the world’s Number 1 Ranker. Cha Yuseong.

Cha Yuseong strolled over to where the trainees stood, flashed a bright smile, and raised his right hand in a wave.

“Hey there~!”

“Good afternoon, sir!!!”

It was a simple greeting—maybe even an oddly casual one—but the response was electric.

As if they’d just spotted a megastar, everyone hopped from foot to foot, peppering him with questions.

“Are you our instructor this time? I heard you solo-closed that S-Rank Gate last time—is that true?”

“Could you take just one picture with me? I’m a huge fan!!!”

Cha Yuseong, seemingly used to this, answered with an easy, relaxed laugh.

“Ah—hold on, hold on. Calm down. First off, I’m not here to teach. I heard someone specific was here.”

“Huh? Who’s here?”

The Number 1 Ranker, coming all this way just to see a fresh new Player?

The trainees exchanged puzzled looks.

“Who, sir? Do you know someone here?”

“No, I heard there was a Player who got a pretty high grade.”

At Cha Yuseong’s words, every gaze instantly veered toward Kim Daeseong. Among all the trainees here, only one person had the highest grade: Kim Daeseong.

But the others still couldn’t quite wrap their heads around it.

‘Okay, B-Rank is high, but is it really enough to bring the Number 1 Ranker here?’

‘Well, I guess all the high-grade Players get snapped up by guilds.’

Though still puzzled, they accepted it—B-Rank was still a decently high grade after all.

Meanwhile, Kim Daeseong was struggling to suppress the grin threatening to break across his face.

‘The Number 1 Ranker came all the way here just for me? I knew joining the Association was the right call.’

“I’d heard the guilds had been poaching all the talent lately, but I didn’t think it’d be this bad.”

“To think a Ranker’s already managing the place in person.”

Kim Daeseong was just drifting off into a pleasant fantasy when—

—Cha Yuseong broke into a faint smile and opened his mouth.

“Who’s Ha Gangwoo?”

At the question, the trainees exchanged glances, turning to look at each other as murmurs rippled through the room.

“Ha Gangwoo?”

“Who’s Ha Gangwoo?”

Everyone kept stealing looks at one another until, in Kim Daeseong’s mind, one man’s face surfaced.

‘Ha Gangwoo… Ah!!!’

The very man who’d made him feel like garbage—that L-Grade bastard! So that’s where he’d seen him before!

As Kim Daeseong recalled Ha Gangwoo and hurriedly shifted his gaze, he spotted it.

The man with the familiar face was raising his hand.

It was the last trainee who’d entered. Ha Gangwoo himself.

Everyone whispered among themselves, staring at the hand-raised Ha Gangwoo.

“That guy’s Ha Gangwoo? Who even is he?”

“Ha Gangwoo, huh… Ha Gangwoo?! Wait, is that the Player who got the L-Grade?”

“What? There’s a Player who got an L-Grade in the Tutorial?”

For a moment, the trainees raised their voices in doubt,

“No way… If it’s L-Grade, no wonder Cha Yuseong came to check him out…”

“Thought it was a rumor. Guess it’s real. Fucking insane.”

Everyone stared at Ha Gangwoo with expressions tinged with envy.

Cha Yuseong spotted Ha Gangwoo, then cracked a wide grin, flashing his teeth.

“Whoa~ It’s you. Nice to meet you.”

Cha Yuseong extended a hand, offering a handshake.

Ha Gangwoo narrowed his eyes, studying Cha Yuseong.

‘This man is Rank 1, Cha Yuseong.’

Ha Gangwoo knew Cha Yuseong, too.

The monster who had held onto the world’s number-one Ranking for fifteen straight years. The sole L-Grade Player. That man was him.

Ha Gangwoo accepted Cha Yuseong’s outstretched hand, a flicker of curiosity crossing his face.

‘A real monster.’

The moment their palms met, he felt it—a bottomless well of power. A true monster, through and through.

Gangwoo sharpened his Sense, taking the measure of the man before him.

Cha Yuseong broke into a small smile and spoke.

“An L-Grade? So you won the tournament, right? Did you beat Antero? Otherwise you couldn’t have gotten L-Grade. Ah~! Is Antero doing well? Well, of course he is. Who is he, after all. Do you have time? If you have time, a spar with me—”

Cha Yuseong was rambling on, all by himself and getting excited, when someone grabbed him by the ear.

A woman with a short bob cut and clean workout clothes. Expressionless, she gripped Cha Yuseong’s ear and walked him toward the hall’s exit.

“Sunbae-nim, you have things to do! You shouldn’t be hanging around here gossiping!”

“Ow! Ow! That hurts! Okay~! I get it, so let go~!!!”

As Cha Yuseong was dragged through the auditorium doors, he turned back to look at Ha Gangwoo and shouted loudly:

“You and me, a sparring match next time! Got it?”

“Sunbae-nim~!”

“Ow! It hurts! It hurts! I said I get it! I got it!”

Cha Yuseong was dragged out with a sly grin, and the players watching him stood there, dumbfounded.

“Guess Mr. Cha’s supposed to be cheerful—turns out he’s a bit of a ditz.”

“Still, I kinda like this side of him. Makes him way more approachable.”

“No argument there.”

Ha Gangwoo was thinking along the same lines.

‘Interesting.’

Just as the title of Rank 1 demanded, the depth of his strength was bottomless.

And on top of that, he’d even asked about Antero’s whereabouts—looked like Cha Yuseong had gotten one-on-one training from Antero too.

‘Come to think of it, I haven’t used the Warp Altar yet.’

Ever since I showed up, I’ve been too busy to even check the Warp Altar.

‘I’ll have to test it out somewhere suitable.’

Since a Warp Altar couldn’t be moved once installed, picking the right spot was crucial.

Just as Ha Gangwoo was gathering his thoughts, the woman who’d been twisting Cha Yuseong’s ear stepped to the center of the hall.

“Ahem. Everyone, listen up.”

The woman cleared her throat once and called out in a loud voice. At that, the trainees turned to her with serious expressions.

She clasped her hands behind her back and spoke in a flat, dry tone.

“There was a brief commotion, but I’d appreciate it if you could put it out of your minds. I’m Seo Hyorin, in charge of this training. The Ranking match is still being prepared, so I don’t have a rank, but I’ve hit Max Level, which means plenty of experience. You won’t lack for anything in learning from me.”

Seo Hyorin finished her clean self-introduction, and a short theory lesson followed.

***

Seo Hyorin opened her mouth again in that same flat expression.

“We’ll take a 10-minute break. When the break’s over, we’ll form teams of four and start Gate Clearing. I’ll assign the teams based on a test, so loosen up before the test.”

“Yes, ma’am!!!”

The trainees answered in a booming chorus.

Ha Gangwoo answered along with them, then flopped down onto the wooden floor.

‘Not bad, actually.’

The content was short but dense.

The basics should’ve been covered in the Tutorial, so she’d just hit the essentials, right? And true to her word, every piece of info Seo Hyorin gave was packed with value.

‘I want to get to the Scenario already.’

Hearing Seo Hyorin’s lecture made him even more interested in the Main Quest.

As Ha Gangwoo recalled the lesson and sank into thought, the trainees swarmed around him.

“Seriously, you’re L-Grade? That’s insane. What rank did you come in from Floor 3?”

“Whoa, I’m so jealous of L-Grade. I’m E-Grade. Wanna team up in the next class?”

Everyone was fascinated by the existence that was Ha Gangwoo.

The person the Rank-1 player himself had come to see, and the second person ever known to receive L-Grade—the only one of its kind before him.

There was no way he wouldn’t draw attention.

But Ha Gangwoo wasn’t thrilled about them.

‘What a hassle.’

Ha Gangwoo was frowning, debating whether to hide with Invisible or scare them off with Demonization, just then.

Someone threw the first punch with a word.

“Why’s everyone making such a fuss? In the Tutorial, an L-Grade can pop up with luck, right? It’ll drop the second the Scenario starts, won’t it?”

That someone was none other than Kim Daeseong.

Plain and simple, he resented Ha Gangwoo’s rising star.

After all, from their first meeting at the Tutorial exit to now, Gangwoo had made Daeseong look pathetic every step of the way. It’d be stranger if he actually liked him.

At Kim Daeseong’s words, the trainees began murmuring among themselves.

“True, grades do change all the time.”

“Still, there’s only been Cha Yuseong as an L-Grade until now. That’s pretty special.”

Even after saying all that, when eyes still locked onto Ha Gangwoo, Kim Daeseong’s temper flared.

He strode over to Gangwoo, stood over him while he was still seated, and opened his mouth.

“Want to do some PVP to loosen up?”

Kim Daeseong was confident.

No matter how you sliced it, an L-Grade fresh out of the Tutorial was still a rookie. How strong could he really be?

On top of that, his opponent was someone who’d grabbed the spotlight. Even if he lost, there was no downside.

A fight with nothing but gains. That’s why he’d proposed the Sparring.

But Ha Gangwoo didn’t budge. He just sat there, staring blankly at Kim Daeseong.

‘This bastard’s totally chickening out.’

Kim Daeseong smirked and taunted him.

“What? Scared? Guess that L-Grade was just luck after all, huh?”

As Kim Daeseong grinned and sneered, Ha Gangwoo sent him a system window in reply.

Ding-

[Player Ha Gangwoo has requested PVP.]

[Victory Condition: Opponent’s death]

[Victory Reward: All of the losing player’s Gold and items transfer to the winner.]

A system window had appeared.

Kim Daeseong’s face twisted as he stared at it.

‘Victory condition is death?’

A victory condition demanding death meant the PVP would only end when one opponent was killed, just like in the tournament. It was a cocky threat backed by the System.

Kim Daeseong scowled, grinding his teeth as he glared at Ha Gangwoo.

“Like I’d be scare–”

But the moment he met Ha Gangwoo’s eyes.

Kim Daeseong clamped his mouth shut and dropped his gaze.