“Ugh!”

Jo Seunghyun’s face twisted in agony.

Frostbite had ravaged his muscles, every cell screaming in pain.

He slowly opened his eyes, and a woman came into view.

‘Healer-nim?’

It was the main healer of the clearing party.

Jo Seunghyun slowly pushed himself upright.

Did it go well? He’d asked Kang Seongbin for help, but the Boss’s strength was beyond imagination. Unease gnawed at him.

“Ugh!”

Even the slightest movement sent excruciating pain coursing from his abdomen to his limbs.

Frozen shards of ice littered the floor, the air thick with a musty stench. Glowing ore pulsed nearby.

They were still inside Keibarnto Cave.

‘What happened?’

Jo Seunghyun looked at the team members standing before him. They were all battered, but no one had sustained fatal wounds.

The healer had put out the immediate fires. Yet everyone’s expressions were grim.

As if to answer that foreboding.

-Aaaaagh!!!

A massive scream echoed from behind him. In an instant, a chilling aura washed over his entire body, making his skin crawl.

“Wh-what the hell!”

Jo Seunghyun urgently turned his gaze to witness what the team members were staring at.

Thud! Thud!

Gruesome blood from a torn body soaked the floor.

Grrrrrrr—

Each exhale carried a chilling rumble.

Two massive horns. Vast wings like a bat’s unfurled wide.

‘…’

Kang Seongbin stood in that spot.

His rust-colored eyes flashed, fresh red blood streaming down around his mouth.

The Boss in Kang Seongbin’s hand—its upper body was torn to shreds, as if something had chewed through it.

‘He’s a real monster.’

He immediately understood why the team had worn those expressions.

Kang Seongbin had devoured the Boss.

His appearance was so grotesque you couldn’t tell who the real monster was.

Ding-

[Keibarnto Cave exploration has failed.]

A system window appeared before the Blue Team members.

And around Kang Seongbin, a fierce Mana began to gather.

It was a level-up effect.

Well, he had soloed a dungeon that even a 25-man clearing party couldn’t take down. He must have gained at least three levels.

Koo-goo-goo-goo-

Around Kang Seongbin, 200 ration kits came crashing down in a heap.

“Is he even human?”

“That… he’s a real genius.”

But the Blue Team didn’t even glance at the rations.

They felt only terror at Kang Seongbin’s sight.

He’d seen plenty of rookies over the years, players hailed as prodigies.

He’d felt something similar from L-Grade player Ha Gangwoo, but this was different.

The reason was simple—he’d watched Kang Seongbin hunt.

Every time Seongbin tore a boss apart, his own flesh was savagely rent as well.

But then—*Crack!*—Seongbin began ripping into the boss raw, devouring it live.

And each time,

“*GyaaAAAHK!!!*”

with the boss’s horrific scream, *Crunch*—Seongbin’s body regenerated.

That brutal Devour lasted twenty full minutes, and it was why the Blue Team kept their mouths shut.

None of them had the nerve to speak to that monster.

And so, as the Blue Team members sweated coldly,

the rust-colored Demonic energy flowing over Seongbin’s body slowly receded.

Two enormous horns, a tail, even wings—all dissolved into light, returning him to his original form.

The demonic features were gone, but terror still gripped the Blue Team’s minds.

Yet one man found the courage to speak.

“So… what do we do now?”

“What do you mean? We just head back.”

“Still… we cooperated on clearing it too, so shouldn’t we get at least a share of the reward…?”

“Are you insane? Everyone says that bastard’s a psycho. You want to ask him? Be my guest.”

Clearing the Keibarnto Cave—from identifying the boss’s patterns to navigating the dungeon’s traps—had all come from the Blue Team’s effort.

But not one of them dared ask for a ration kit.

They were terrified that if they spoke wrong, they’d end up like the boss.

Jo Seunghyun, though, was different.

‘What is this?’

Curiosity washed over him instead.

Seunghyun had seen Kang Seongbin back in the Tutorial.

Wasn’t he the first-round opponent for hyung-nim in the tournament?

Back then, Seongbin had been consumed by his Trait, losing all reason. But not anymore.

His appearance was still horrifying, but the feeling was definitely different.

Did that mean he’d found something to remove the penalty?

Seunghyun, whose own progress was hobbled by a penalty, watched Seongbin with keen interest.

“Thank you for saving us.”

Seunghyun stepped forward and gave a deep bow.

Kang Seongbin was the benefactor who’d saved the Blue Team.

On top of that, he’d even offered to grant them any request. Seunghyun needed to act as amiably as possible.

But Seongbin ignored him, focused entirely on the item in his hand.

The dungeon’s real reward—the Keibarnto Black Mask. An item whose alien darkness writhed and squirmed.

He stared at it for a long while, apparently pleased with its effect, before finally sparing Seunghyun a glance.

Seongbin whispered something into Seunghyun’s ear.

For a moment, Seunghyun swallowed dryly in surprise, but—

“What are you doing?”

“Don’t tell me you’re demanding our share?”

None of the Blue Team members could hear what Jo Seunghyun was saying to Kang Seongbin.

And so, on Blue Team’s second day, the perfect clear ended in failure.

***

A soft hiss—

At the heart of the black mist, some forty players had gathered in a shabby temple.

They were covered in wounds, not a single spot untouched, and the air reeked of thick blood as if they’d just crawled out of a war.

“So everything failed?”

Their leader, Kang Seongbin, forced a calm expression as he spoke.

“We’re sorry…”

“Some bastard showed up out of nowhere and…”

This place was Red Team’s base.

Kang Seongbin let out a deep sigh after hearing his team’s reports.

‘Shouldn’t have split them up.’

Red Team’s clearing strategy had been simple: leader Kang Seongbin would take the Keibarnto Cave himself. Hwang Taeseong would guard the base with his Trait.

The remaining forty-eight were split into two groups of twenty-four and sent to the ??? Dungeon and Bikeun Temple.

It was a greedy plan, but he’d thought it was the best call.

‘It wasn’t bad, though.’

Every single Red Team player Seongbin had personally fought alongside was above average.

That’s why he’d split them into two forces.

He’d figured that with that level of talent, they wouldn’t fall behind any other Party.

But the result was a disaster.

Everything had failed except for the Keibarnto Cave that Seongbin himself cleared.

“Haah…”

Frustration surged through him in an instant. He wanted to grab each of them by the collar and demand answers, but he knew it wouldn’t change a damn thing.

What he needed now, more than anything, was intel on the other forces.

Kang Seongbin’s expression went cold as he spoke.

“Bikeun Temple strike team reports first. Other forces’ combat power. Traits. Key figures. Don’t leave a single thing out. If your report is unsatisfactory, I’ll expel you from the team.”

“……”

In that moment, Kang Seongbin’s icy gaze swept over the forty-odd players.

‘Monster.’

‘So that’s what an S-Rank looks like…’

His domineering behavior made the Red Team members fear him. But resentment was piling up.

‘He ought to tone down his arrogance. All that posturing and he’s still just a nobody who hasn’t even done his job change.’

‘Acting like he’s hot shit all by himself. Just wait until we job change!’

But right now, no one was thinking that.

‘How the hell did he pull that off alone.’

‘Crazy bastard…’

The Red Team members knew better than anyone, because they’d competed against other forces.

They knew how terrifying the man was who’d fought against dozens of players alone and won.

“I’ll report first.”

Starting with a player from the Bikeun Temple strike team.

“At the ??? Dungeon, about thirty players from Purple Team showed up.”

The player who’d cleared the ??? Dungeon began his situation report.

About twenty minutes later.

Kang Seongbin had grasped the whole picture.

In that instant, a dizzying silence fell over Red Team’s base.

Gulp—

He’d explained in detail for twenty minutes. But in the end, it was all just an excuse for why they’d failed.

Kang Seongbin could have drawn his sword then, and no one would have batted an eye.

That was exactly why the Red Team was on edge.

After five dizzying minutes, as if he’d finally sorted his thoughts, Kang Seongbin spoke slowly.

“Alright. It’s a shame we failed, but you all worked hard. I’ll give each of you one ration kit. Rest up today.”

“……”

But the words that came back were unexpected.

They’d braced for a torrent of curses—instead, they got praise for their efforts and a promise of the hard-won kits.

‘Is he gonna slap us if we take them?’

‘What do we do…’

Suspicion flickered through the Red Team at Seongbin’s strange behavior.

‘Right. That’s how he’s always been.’

Only Hwang Taeseong relaxed at Seongbin’s move. He’d thought the guy had changed, but no—Seongbin was still that same bastard.

In the middle of mindless brutality, a streak of unexpected composure.

He knew better than anyone that if he lashed out here, the team would collapse. So this was the play.

Everyone was still eyeing each other, afraid to take the food, when—

“I’ll eat well.”

Hwang Taeseong’s action broke the seal.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll eat well.”

One by one, the Red Team grabbed their rations.

“Fuck.”

One player clenched his fist, grinding his teeth in frustration.

“Haah…”

Another sighed, crushed by the weight of failure.

They all had full kits in hand, but their faces were a disaster.

Above that temple steeped in despair,

Kang Seongbin sat on the roof, organizing the reports.

‘So that bastard’s here too.’

A line from the report stuck in his mind—from the clearing party that had gone into the ??? Dungeon.

-We were right at the finish line. The moment we thought it was over, a translucent barrier trapped the whole team. Then some man showed up and took the quest item. I’m ashamed. I’m sorry.

‘A translucent barrier.’

A Trait strong enough to neutralize twenty-four players at once.

A translucent barrier. The moment he heard the description, one man came to mind.

‘Hua Yian’s here too.’

The second most aggravating bastard after Ha Gangwoo—and he was in the same damn space.

***

Trudge. Trudge.

The Blue Team navigated by map, making their way back to base.

[Keibarnto Cave] — Cleared by Red Team.

[Bikeun Temple] — Cleared by Green Team.

[???] — Cleared by Purple Team.

The quest markers on the map showed which faction had cleared each dungeon.

By now, the team back at base must have figured it out too.

“Haah…”

“Fuck. This is bullshit.”

Everyone wore a death mask, sighing.

Their gear was at rock-bottom durability, and their stomachs were growling.

‘What are we gonna say when we get back…’

And on top of that, they’d failed the most important clear. Was there any situation more hopeless than this? The moment they reached the stronghold, they’d be walking into a storm of criticism from their teammates.

The strike team sighed, the sound heavy enough to crack the earth, as they dragged their feet forward.

The twenty-minute march back to base was a wretched stretch of lament and worry.

But grimly, the base drew near, and Blue Team arrived.

A massive castle stood at the center of a wide clearing.

It was as grand and sturdy as when they’d left—yet something felt different.

Cleaner, maybe? The cracked walls were gone, as if repaired, and the whole structure looked more solid.

But the strike team’s eyes didn’t take any of it in.

“Haah…”

“……”

Only the gloom of defeat persisted.

As the strike team stepped into the clearing, a Player guarding the castle shouted.

“They’re back!!!”

The booming voice clawed at the strike team’s hearts.

The moment they reached the castle gate—

Creeeak—

The gate swung open, and party members who’d been waiting began to file out.

Tension immediately flickered across the strike team’s faces.

‘Are they gonna chew us out?’

‘What’ll they say…’

It was the weight of responsibility for the failure.

This failure wasn’t just a simple mistake.

It was a catastrophic loss that could ruin the remaining five days.

Knowing that all too well, the strike team hung their heads.

But the reply that came back was painfully warm.

“Good work. Come in and eat.”

Starting with Kim Jisoo, Blue Team’s cook, they offered—

“Good work. All twenty-five of you made it back. That’s a relief.”

“Aw, it’s just one failure. Come on in!”

The team members didn’t hold back their encouragement.

“Huh?”

The strike team wore bewildered expressions as they stepped inside the castle.

“Wha—what is this?!”

“Whoa… That’s insane.”

They couldn’t help but be stunned.

The castle had been falling apart—old, rusted, with stains from corpses everywhere.

But now, this place was completely transformed.

Clean tables, antique seating. It was as neat and grand as stepping into a luxurious medieval hall.

And at the center of the castle, a single table was piled high with food.

“No… no way.”

“Where did all this…”

The castle being cleaned was one thing, but where had they gotten provisions? No matter how he thought about it, the sight was incomprehensible.

Ha Gangwoo stepped forward through the bewildered strike team and spoke.

“Let’s talk while we eat. Everyone’s been waiting.”

With Ha Gangwoo’s lead, Blue Team gathered everyone and began their meal.

“Sob… sob…”

Someone wept in frustration as they ate,

“……”

A man shoveled rice into his mouth with resolve in his eyes.

The strike team had failed in the end, but they had gained a great deal.

***

“We need support at 4 o’clock!!!”

Kreeeek!!!

“Monsters are clustered at the gate!!! Help us!!!”

Slash— Kreeeek!!!

A brutal scene of slaughter.

Ding-

[You have cleared Defend Against the Monster Wave!]

[Level up!!]

“Whoa!!!!!”

A Blue Team member let out a resolute cheer.

The Quest they’d just cleared was the Day 6 Daily Quest.

The Job change exam was in its final stretch.

‘Not bad.’

Ha Gangwoo watched the Blue Team and smiled with satisfaction.

Day 2, the strike team’s defeat—it wasn’t part of the plan.

But the moment the strike team set foot on the Adult Body, he realized something.

‘Perfect timing.’

If he played his cards right, he could make the remaining five days the best ones yet.

So Ha Gangwoo didn’t push them hard.

If anything, he treated them better.

Because the strike team was already driving themselves hard enough, tearing themselves apart.

And as Gangwoo had predicted, after that day, the look in the strike team’s eyes changed.

Like soldiers fighting for their lives, there was no fear in them—they poured everything in.

As a result—

Ding-

[Rankings will now be measured!]

1st Place: Blue

2nd Place: Purple

3rd: Red

4th: Green

Blue Team had put up impressive numbers throughout the trial.

Starting with Day 3’s Daily Quest — [Catch the Speed Wing!]

all the way to Day 6’s [Hold Off the Monster Wave!] — there had been so many quests.

And even without Gangwoo stepping in, Blue Team members gritted their teeth and threw themselves into every one of them.

Which was why Gangwoo felt certain.

‘First place.’

The ultimate goal of the Job-Change Trial.

[Build a Faction!][Main]

Description: The trial has begun in the Tower of Job Change. A seven-day survival game! Band together with allies of your color to forge a powerful force.

Reward: Distributed individually by rank

First place in the main quest belonged to Blue Team.

Right as Gangwoo felt victory closing in—

Ding-

[A Blue Team member feels a strong sense of trust toward Player Ha Gangwoo.]

[Good-Evil +30 points acquired.]

Once again, the system window materialized without fail.

It was the same window that had appeared the moment he brought his survival kit to his party members.

He didn’t know how many points an S-Rank needed to earn, but he’d already gotten enough.

Ha Gangwoo shouted toward his party members, who were letting out cheers.

“Good work, everyone. One day left. Hang in there just a little longer. Teams five and six, clean up the monster corpses. Teams one and two, I need you on watch.”

“Yes, sir!”

Ha Gangwoo gave the orders with practiced ease, and his teammates answered without hesitation.

It had only been six days, but they’d adapted perfectly.

About an hour later.

The Monster Wave cleanup finished cleanly.

They’d disposed of the monster carcasses littering the area and stored the loot from the rewards as shared property.

Now, not a single Player complained about the communal ownership.

With that came personal time.

“Hoooh…”

Ha Gangwoo climbed to the top floor of the castle and rested.

A wide horizon, the moon rising above it.

It looked peaceful, but this place was a living hell.

If this had been any stronghold other than the Nest, today’s Monster Wave would have produced casualties — it was that brutal.

Which meant the Players pulling sentry duty right now probably looked like death warmed over.

To endure that hell and then have to skip sleep on top of it — tough luck. But there was no helping it.

Having held first place this whole time meant the other factions had their eyes fixed here, burning with hunger.

‘What’s up with Black?’

Still, a few questions lingered.

[Find the Spy!][Sub]

Description: A Black agent has infiltrated the Blue Team. Root them out and pray for Blue Team’s prosperity!

Reward: Additional point acquisition.

A Quest claiming a spy called Black had wormed into Blue Team — and they still hadn’t uncovered who it was.

‘Maybe it was just thrown in to spook us?’

Either way, Gangwoo’s only goal was Ruin’s job-change conditions.

He was sure he’d already fulfilled every requirement, so he felt no worry.

Still, with the last day looming, the unease was hard to shake.

And just as Gangwoo was sorting through his thoughts —

“Master!!!”

Mimic came bounding over to him.