*Shwaaaa—* Leaves fluttered in a crisp breeze. Warm sunlight set the mood here.

Facing the vast barrier, Ha Gangwoo smirked at the sudden System window.

‘What the hell is this?’

Not just a Quest update—a Hidden Quest had appeared out of nowhere.

He needed to check it.

‘Ques—’

Just as he was about to call up the changed Quest with his mental Activation word—

*Shwoosh—* *Thunk!*

An arrow sliced through the air and planted itself right at Evan’s feet.

“Halt! One more step and we’ll treat you as an enemy!!!”

A booming voice echoed from beyond the gate. The man had a set of lungs on him—it rang right through Gangwoo’s skull.

As if this was routine, Evan tossed the sword from his belt onto the ground and called back in a loud voice.

“I come bearing vital intelligence from the Teron Kingdom!”

Evan tore off his tattered cloak and held it up with both hands. The torn emblem of the Teron Kingdom flapped in the wind.

“I am the Knight Commander of the Teron Kingdom—Evan Reins. I wish to meet with the Castle Lord.”

Evan’s gruff voice rang full through the gate.

“…”

At some point, Rain had slipped up beside Ha Gangwoo, her small hand gripping his trousers. She trembled—a shiver that betrayed genuine fear.

Five minutes of that taut silence crawled by.

Clang!

The immense gate began to swing open.

The four-meter-tall door groaned—Kreeeak—an eerie sound as it parted, and a column of armored soldiers emerged, led by a single man.

The figure at the head rode a horse; behind him followed roughly a hundred troops.

Soldiers clad head-to-toe in heavy armor. Before his Awakening, the sheer pressure radiating from them would have made Gangwoo flinch.

“We’ll be okay, right?”

“…”

By now, Shamiel and Zelta had pressed in close behind Ha Gangwoo.

The Skeron Territory.

The most powerful faction in all of Skypier—and one notorious for its ruthlessness.

They were said to possess conviction—or rather, stubbornness—as unyielding as their strength.

Knowing these people well, Zelta and Shamiel had every reason to be afraid.

Before anyone realized it, the detachment had drawn up right in front of Evan. The man at the forefront removed his helmet and dismounted.

He looked to be in his thirties—a foreigner with striking golden hair.

Evan’s face lit up the moment he saw the man.

“Prince Dikas!”

“It’s been a while, Sir Evan.”

Contrary to everyone’s worries, the whole affair went smoothly.

***

Inside an antique chamber, a massive table was laden with a lavish spread of food.

Ha Gangwoo scooped up the soup in front of him and took a bite. Savory, with a subtle sweetness. It was delicious.

But his expression was far from pleased.

‘What am I supposed to say?’

[Scenario.1: Mysterious Golden Feather (1)][DLC Hidden][Main]

Description: You have discovered Kedin Castle. Fortuitously, the key to finding a legendary artifact lies dormant within its walls. Find that key.

Reward: The key that unlocks the seal

*TIP—The key moves. It takes the form of a red orb.

It was all because of the new quest that had appeared.

Suddenly asking him to find a key—fine, it had turned into a Hidden quest, but the difficulty was way too high.

‘If it moves, does that mean someone’s carrying it?’

The vague TIP only made his head ache more.

Ha Gangwoo scowled at the cryptic quest contents and started eating.

Just then, the lord of Kedin Castle, the fourth prince of the Skeron Kingdom—Dikas Skeron—asked with a composed expression.

“Does the food not suit your taste?”

It wasn’t just Gangwoo—Shamiel and Evan also wore grim expressions.

Still, Evan forced a smile and responded.

“Not at all. It is an honor that you have prepared such a banquet for us.”

At Evan’s reply, Dikas Skeron let out a hearty laugh and spoke.

“Hahaha! Is it because of those so-called demons or whatever? Don’t worry.”

Having finished delivering the full account to Dikas, the Castle Lord, Ha Gangwoo found the man himself utterly unmoved by the tale.

“Unlike that fallen Teron Kingdom, we have *that* at our side, don’t we?”

What *that* was, Gangwoo couldn’t guess, but Dikas had answered with a cock-sure grin, then leisurely ordered a meal laid out for them.

‘What’s ‘that’?’

He had no clue what the man was driving at, but with the key still to find, even the faintest hint of something special deserved scrutiny.

Gangwoo ate as he studied Dikas. The man lived up to his prince’s title: clean-cut looks, immaculate dress, bearing that radiated dignity down to the smallest gesture.

‘And him?’

But Gangwoo’s gaze slid past Dikas to the knight standing behind him.

The man’s face was a blank mask, yet his eyes bored into Gangwoo with unwavering intensity.

‘Grating.’

The aura he gave off was off too — a strange blend of monster and demon.

Was he one of those other races the Scenario mentioned?

‘Best keep that in mind for now.’

Clink—

The meal with Castle Lord Dikas continued.

Dikas rambled on about Skypier’s tedious court politics, while Evan recounted the heroic tale of how he’d witnessed Gangwoo in action.

Talk flowed back and forth, but the atmosphere never warmed.

Then Dikas suddenly smacked the table — *Thwack!* — and shot to his feet.

“This won’t do. Let me show you something interesting!”

He clearly wanted to flaunt the source of his confidence.

*I *am* curious.*

Whatever it was Dikas was so eager to display.

Gangwoo felt a spark of interest.

No matter how he turned it over, it seemed tied to the Quest.

And so Gangwoo and Evan’s party followed Dikas as he led the way.

***

They walked a corridor lined with antique tiles, every frame and vase exuding luxury.

“Monsters, and now demons — it’s hard to believe. So this Player in front of me truly felled a demon?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Dikas Skeron and Evan exchanged words as they walked.

Behind them, Dikas’s personal knight kept a watchful eye on Gangwoo’s group, on high alert.

‘He doesn’t trust us.’

The constant murderous aura prickled at Gangwoo, but he understood.

With anyone besides Evan a potential spy, keeping distance was only natural.

As they made their way down the hall…

Zelta sidled up close and whispered.

“Player, this is just my opinion, but I think it would be wiser to join hands with the Skeron Territory than to chase the Golden Feather. The Skeron Kingdom’s power combined with yours should make short work of any demon.”

“I agree with Master Zelta.”

Shamiel chimed in, backing Zelta’s view.

”That power’?’

Did the Skeron Empire possess something special? They kept hinting they had something in their pocket, and it only stoked his curiosity.

But Ha Gangwoo’s mind was already made up. Lord this, prince that—he was tired of it before it even started.

“Let me think about it first.”

A flat refusal here could chip away at their trust, though.

So he gave a noncommittal answer, as if he’d consider it.

Gangwoo’s eyes roamed, taking in his surroundings.

A maid sweeping the corridor, soldiers drilling with swords, a well-kept flower garden—it was a peaceful place.

‘Nothing special here.’

Watching his surroundings, Gangwoo followed behind Dikas. They passed a stately hallway and descended deep underground, until they reached their destination.

“There! What do you think?”

Dikas’s face brimmed with confidence as he swept his palm toward what lay before them.

Not just Ha Gangwoo, but Evan and Shami as well—all three of them gaped at the object.

“Golems…”

In the vast underground space, about a dozen golems stood arrayed, each roughly four meters tall.

They fell short of the boss-type golem he’d faced before entering Scenario 1, but their appearance was imposing enough.

‘So they have things like this.’

Gangwoo’s eyes locked onto the golems, and a single thought flashed through his mind.

“Red orb.”

The hints in the TIP had been two: *It moves,* and *Red orb.*

*It moves.* *Red orb.*

Those two points aligned with the golems’ cores.

‘Found it.’

A faint smile crept across Gangwoo’s lips.

‘Easier than I thought.’

The TIP had felt vague, but it had handed him those two crucial clues.

Meanwhile.

“This is incredible.”

“It’s my first time seeing them in person. The sheer presence lives up to the rumors.”

Evan and Zelta stood open-mouthed, marveling at the golems. Dikas shook his head and took a step forward.

“That’s not the golem I wanted to show you.”

“Huh?”

Before Evan’s doubt could settle.

“It’s this one right here.”

Dikas gestured with a proud expression toward a single golem.

Far smaller than the standard ones—only about one and a half times the height of a person.

‘That’s it.’

The moment Gangwoo saw it, he was certain. The mana wave emanating from it was twice as powerful as from the others.

The key he was looking for sat right inside that thing.

But Evan, unaware, looked at the Red Golem and frowned.

“Is that really a golem?”

“Of course it is. A Red Golem is five times stronger than a regular one. Would you like to see?”

Suddenly, Evan caught Dikas’s expression and realized his mistake. Daring to question the words of the Castle Lord.

Evan scrambled to recover.

“Five times—that’s truly remarkable. The craftsmanship is so exquisite that for a moment I mistook it for a person. I don’t even need to see it in action; it’s clearly a splendid golem.”

“Is that so? Hahaha. Then between this golem and a demon—which one do you think is stronger?”

Dikas’s eyes narrowed.

A blatantly probing question.

Evan flinched in confusion.

He knew well how strong a Golem was, but he’d assumed the demon side was stronger.

But honestly, saying so would gain him nothing.

“With my limited knowledge, I couldn’t say, sir.”

“Is that so? Then.”

Dikas curved his lips in a smirk, watching Ha Gangwoo with evident interest.

“A fight between your Red Golem and the Player should settle it, shouldn’t it?”

“What?! That… what do you—”

“Aren’t you curious which is superior—the hero who single-handedly took down a spider monster blocking the shortcut, and even a demon, or a Golem? If the Player proves stronger than the Golem, House Skeron will offer you our full support.”

Dikas made the plausible offer, a sly grin lingering on his face.

‘Where the hell do you get off telling such a ridiculous lie.’

Dikas Skeron had never believed Evan’s words from the start.

A single man killing over thirty monsters—and a demon on top of that.

A lie only holds until truth tramples it. That was why he’d proposed this duel.

But Evan, unaware of this, broke into a cold sweat, answering with clear reluctance.

“Even so… it feels like too great an insult to the Player. To have him fight a Golem on a mere whim.”

“Ahahaha. You’re right, of course. I suppose I was being rash. After all, how could a man’s strength prevail against a Golem?”

Dikas looked at Ha Gangwoo, grinning as he murmured lowly.

“But aren’t you curious, Player?”

Ha Gangwoo responded to Dikas’s words with a faint smile.

‘A provocation, is it.’

He needed a Red Golem’s Core anyway. And now this man was offering support on top of winning the fight.

To Ha Gangwoo, Dikas’s proposal was exactly what he wanted.

Ha Gangwoo stepped forward confidently, opening his mouth.

“I’m curious too—which is stronger, a demon or a Golem?”

At Ha Gangwoo’s sudden move, Dikas’s knight-guard stepped forward in alert. Dikas raised a hand, waving the knight back.

“Ahahaha, is that so? Thinking the same as me. I like that. Then, would you like to try your hand against the Red Golem?”

Dikas’s lips were smiling, but his eyes were nothing short of murderous.

Ha Gangwoo, however, shrugged his shoulders casually and spoke.

“Fine.”

The moment Ha Gangwoo accepted, a system window appeared.

Ding-

[Sub Quest has been updated.]

[Clue of the Key][DLC Hidden][Sub]

Description: You have discovered a clue to the Key. Defeat the Ego Golem and acquire the Key.

Reward: ???

‘Found you.’

Just as he’d thought—the Red Golem’s Core was the Key.

At Ha Gangwoo’s ready acceptance, Evan fidgeted anxiously and spoke to him.

“A duel born of curiosity? We don’t have time for this.”

From Evan’s perspective, there was no way this sat well with him. Teil’s whereabouts were unknown, and he’d come all this way following a flimsy feather, trusting only Ha Gangwoo’s word.

And now, a duel fought out of curiosity? It was a waste of time.

If Gangwoo hadn’t had the Quest, he would have agreed with Evan. But this duel was absolutely necessary.

“Trust me. I’ll find Teil for you, I promise.”

Gangwoo gave Evan’s shoulder a reassuring pat, his voice dropping to a low murmur.

The trust Gangwoo had built up until now.

Against that, Evan had no more objections.

Gangwoo turned his gaze to Dikas and drove the point home.

“You said you’d provide support if I beat the Golem, didn’t you?”

“Of course. Don’t worry. House Skeron never breaks its word.”

“No, I’d like to set a condition of my own.”

At Gangwoo’s words, Dikas’s eyebrow twitched. This time, it was Gangwoo throwing Dikas’s own provocation back at him.

“If I lose, I’ll give you this. But I want to change the terms if I win.”

“Change the terms? Hahaha. Go on, then.”

“My terms are…”

***

A peaceful blue plain, alive with the chirring of crickets.

Above it stood a square stage. Around it, a crowd of over a hundred had gathered.

Curious faces pressed in around the stage.

“What’s going on?”

“They’re testing the performance of the Red Golem finished today.”

“That legendary Red Golem? They actually finished it?”

Their reason for gathering was one.

To witness the power of the Red Golem, the pinnacle of the Golems that formed the backbone of the Skeron Kingdom’s national might.

“But I heard its opponent is a guest from the Teron Kingdom.”

“They’re making a guest fight a Red Golem?”

The residents were bewildered.

A guest from another country, fighting a Golem?

Were they trying to kill the guest? It was a situation that made no sense.

Just as doubts stirred the crowd, they turned toward one spot and erupted into cheers.

“Lord Skeron!”

“How can he be so commanding?!”

Dikas appeared on a platform with a clear view of the square stage.

The residents bowed and scraped before him, but Dikas’s expression was sour.

‘Some wretched little brat from nowhere. Dares to mock me?’

In his heart, he wanted to seize him and throw him in a cell right now, but—

If the information he’d brought turned out to be true, it could become a problem when he seized the throne later.

It wasn’t too late to judge after watching this duel.

‘Let’s see how impressive he really is.’

With a sinister smile curling on his lips, Dikas plopped down heavily into his chair.

At that very moment.

Creeeak— Crack! Red light armor—a design that brought medieval armor to mind.

The Red Golem stepped onto the stage.

“What? Why is a Golem so small?”

“It’s three times smaller than a normal Golem! What’s that about?”

Just as the residents were growing suspicious of its small size—

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. This is a convergence of miniaturization and power-boosting techniques. It’s five times stronger than a standard Golem!”

“Five times?! That’s insane… A single normal Golem can already handle about three hundred soldiers. You’re saying that thing alone has the power to face off against fifteen hundred?!”

The villagers’ jaws dropped at the Golem’s specs.

As the villagers stood there, stunned before the Red Golem,

Ha Gangwoo stepped onto the stage. His relatively tidy outfit added a touch of dignity, but compared to the Golem, he was unavoidably shabby.

“This… this isn’t even a fair fight. He doesn’t even have proper armor, does he?”

“They call it a Red Golem performance test — it’ll be over as soon as it starts.”

Everyone clucked their tongues at Gangwoo’s ragged appearance.

Meanwhile.

“Evan…? Why are you fighting again, all of a sudden?”

Rain asked from inside Evan’s arms, her voice trembling with unease.

Rain had taken rest instead of food. Her face was noticeably healthier.

“You need not worry. The Player must have his reasons.”

Evan’s brow furrowed as he watched Ha Gangwoo.

‘Five times stronger than a Golem…’

Evan, too, knew what Golems were. Weapons forged solely for slaughter.

Even when Gangwoo said he’d fight the Red Golem, Evan hadn’t been worried.

A hero who defeated a demon even the great Archmage Zenon couldn’t handle. Surely he wouldn’t lose to some mere Golem.

But *five times* stronger than a standard Golem?

Knowing the Golem’s full power, unease surged into Evan.

“What do you think, Sir Evan?”

Dikas Skeron grinned slyly, baiting Evan.

Evan looked at Gangwoo on the square stage and answered without hesitation.

“There’s nothing to see. The Player will be victorious.”

A sliver of anxiety?

Evan knew well that his anxiety was just pointless emotion.

But Dikas let out a hollow laugh at Evan’s words.

“My, my. To think our kingdom’s Golems are so dismissed. You must have lived too peacefully.”

Dikas was smiling, but a gleam shone in his eyes.

‘This is absurd.’

Dikas recalled the wager Gangwoo had proposed.

[If I win, please grant my request. If I lose, I’ll do anything you ask.]

He’d come at Dikas with that brazenly confident face, making an utterly ridiculous offer.

For a moment, taken aback by the preposterousness, Dikas had scoffed in reply.

-Do you think that’s fair? I have no need of anything from you.

If he *had* to name one thing he wanted, it was only to smash that smug face into the ground.

But then—

Gangwoo had summoned a greatsword into the air, and *shooook* — the blade began to grow in size.

-Oh?! An artifact. That’s not bad. But it’s hardly something I need.

Yet what astonished Dikas was the artifact he revealed next.

Mik!

The small, shabby box gulped down the colossal greatsword in one bite.

Then—Mik!—it spat the massive blade back out.

“Th-this?! A living Artifact!”

Not merely alive, but possessing the function to store objects as well.

At the sight of it, Dikas was consumed by the urge to possess that Artifact.

“I accept.”

Dikas was confident.

The Red Golem—the ultimate weapon he had crafted with the intent of making himself king. Neither demon nor monster would prove a match for it.

And so Dikas gladly accepted Ha Gangwoo’s wager.

‘Whatever I ask for, he says…’

At that moment, Dikas made a silent vow.

‘The crime of daring to scorn me and my Golem. You’ll pay with your life.’

That Player, if he lost to the Golem, would forfeit not only the Artifact but his very life.

Just as Dikas was sealing his oath of wrath—

“Then, let the duel begin!!!”

The man officiating the arena bellowed at the top of his lungs in that instant.

“Wooow~!!”

With a great roar of cheers, the battle commenced.