A silence hung in the conference room.

Dark from the dead lights, a presentation beam sliced through the gloom.

Roughly twenty Players stared at the screen lit by that beam.

Every single Player in this room was a guild leader, a hero representing their nation.

*Thud—thud—*

A woman walked into the center of all those gazes.

Golden wavy hair, a crisp office look. It was Emily Nancy.

‘Just as I thought, he’s not here…’

Emily caught her breath for a moment and scanned the Players looking back at her.

Today, the Association President seemed even smaller than usual, and present were Rank 3 Charlie Butler, Rank 8 Lee Hwi—truly world-class figures.

‘I don’t like this.’

But the one most important person was nowhere to be seen.

“After all that asking, he couldn’t show up even once?”

A flash of heat surged through her — anger, raw and immediate — but Emily Nancy forced herself still, breathing it down.

“Let’s begin the briefing. First, I’ll share the progress on Scenario 3.”

Emily Nancy drove the meeting forward, and the minutes slipped away like water.

The information on the table was sprawling.

Word of a Scenario 1 update, the emergence of Zidhart’s Longbow +12, the Scenario 3 breakthrough it had punched open, and the first sightings of Legend-class jobs — headlines that would hook any Player on the planet.

But no one could say why the System had changed in the first place. Then—

“There’s something I need you all to see.”

Emily Nancy tapped a button, and the beam projector’s image flickered.

A demon’s corpse — charred pitch-black, its gaping mouth frozen mid-roar.

“Th-that’s…”

“…”

The temperature in the room dropped to ice in a single breath.

The Monster in the photo looked too much like the Cataclysm demon — the one that had wiped out humanity.

Ten years after that day, and demon Monsters were surfacing again.

“Who took that thing down?”

“What’s its profile? Does it have that same Trait — eating everything in its path?”

Players started firing questions, their composure cracking.

But Emily Nancy pressed her lips tight and waited.

She hadn’t dragged these busy people here for nothing.

“Ms. Nancy? Say something.”

“Ah, shit — where’s the corpse? I want to see it myself.”

The room buzzed with complaints and restlessness, but Emily Nancy’s silence pressed down until a heavy stillness settled over them.

“Haah… what’s your angle here?”

She waited until she felt them steady again, then finally spoke.

“Let’s not repeat the same mistake.”

This was why the Chairman had put her in charge of the presentation. For this very moment.

Ten years ago, a single Monster had nearly brought humanity to its end.

The reason? Greed.

Nations had been blind with ambition — pouring everything into their own power, abandoning their neighbors for System rewards.

And the Cataclysm demon had fed on it all, growing strong enough to swallow everything before anyone could act.

So Emily Nancy made her proposal.

“Let’s form an alliance.”

All twenty factions gathered here — she asked them to join forces.

But the first responses were brutal.

“It’s been ten years. Back then we had no Awakening skills and crap gear. Do we really need an alliance? And more importantly — how are we splitting the rewards?”

“An alliance means equal shares, obviously.”

“Equal shares? Who the hell are you to freeload off the top twenty?”

“What? A has-been? The nerve of some washed-up company.”

“What did you call me? Washed-up?! Come here, you bastard!!!”

The conversation, naturally, began with the reward.

“I won’t participate unless it’s at least 20% equity.”

“We’ll have to decline for now as well.”

Humanity repeated the same mistake.

But then, the moment came.

“Hm-hmm-“

A short, deliberate cough cut through the noise.

A deep, rumbling pressure—

Crushed down on the twenty Players.

“Ngh!”

The bickering Players shut their mouths. Then their eyes turned toward the source of the Mana.

“Everyone’s full of spirit.”

Standing there was a small boy.

Messy, unkempt blond hair; a smile on his face—but the moment the two dozen Players saw that child, they fell silent.

“First, have a seat.”

And so, composure regained, the negotiation continued under the lead of the Association President, Glass Clark.

***

“Instructor! Over there, someone’s fighting!”

Students pointed frantically at the field, calling for help.

“Huh?! Uh… It’s dangerous. For now, escape outside the Academy.”

The Instructor already knew.

There had been a massive explosion—an eerie roar—hadn’t there?

And now, Crash!!! Slice—the two Players were still erupting with intense noise.

‘What do I do.’

But the Instructor couldn’t step in easily.

Because the Instructor recognized one of the men fighting right now.

Ding-

[Beast’s Roar envelops your body.]

[Status decreases by 20%.]

Along with the thundering cry came the System’s notification.

A massive frame that barely seemed human, short-cropped athletic hair, and a black axe in hand.

The moment the Instructor saw those features, a name shot into their head.

‘That’s Kim Honggu, the Player.’

Registered at Rank 999 three years ago—a notorious thug.

And now that Player was suddenly causing a riot at the Association.

An Instructor should naturally step in to stop it, but they couldn’t.

How could they possibly stop a monster who’d climbed all the way to Rank 999?

So there was only one thing the Instructor could do.

-Hello? Headquarters? This is the Association Academy. There’s a problem. We need at least an S-Rank asset or higher on-site.

Just as the Instructor was busily reporting the situation—

“Dad!!!”

Kim Yuna stared at the field, relief flooding her.

‘Of course—my dad would never lose!’

Honestly, when he’d gone flying over the wall, she’d gotten a little teary-eyed.

‘Who the hell does he think he is.’

But now that Dad had pulled out his weapon, this fight was as good as over.

“Dad!!! Teach him to never act tough again!!!”

Kim Yuna forgot the ache in her arm and screamed at the top of her lungs.

At her shout, the students nearby began to murmur.

“That guy is Yuna’s dad?”

“Who? The guy with the axe? He bragged about it every day—guess it wasn’t just talk. That axe is insane!”

Their eyes sparkled with curiosity as they stared at the field.

CRASH!!! Shiiing-

It was too far to see clearly, but whenever the blades of the two Players clashed, the air split with a sharp crack that grazed the students’ skin.

For an ordinary person, this would’ve been the moment to turn and run.

After all, a fight between high-rank Players was just as dangerous as a Monster outbreak.

But to the academy students, it wasn’t a threat.

“Whoa… his Mana is so massive, you can actually see it.”

“Damn, he’s fast.”

“Will I ever be that strong?”

They were objects of admiration.

The beings currently tearing the earth apart with superhuman strength were, to the students, living dreams.

And this was a battle between dream-like figures.

Too far away, too fast—they couldn’t even make out the details.

Yet the students could vaguely sense it.

Whoosh—CLANG!!!

That Yuna’s dad, wielding the massive axe, was slowly gaining the upper hand.

“But hey, who’s that guy fighting Yuna’s dad?”

Then, a question popped out.

Logically, the first question should’ve been why Yuna’s dad was even PVPing here, but that wasn’t important to the students.

“Who else? It’s Mik’s dad.”

That was when Kim Yuna stepped forward, a proud look on her face.

“Mik’s dad?”

Instantly, the students’ gazes shifted to Mimic, standing beside Kim Yuna.

Wasn’t there a rumor that Mik’s dad was the L-Grade Player, Ha Gangwoo?

“So that guy is Mr. Ha Gangwoo?!”

In a flash, the kids’ eyes lit up as they locked their stares.

Whoosh-

With Kim Honggu’s axe swing, the ground split open with a BOOM, sending a cloud of dust rising.

Already hard to see from a distance, the blocked view made it impossible to tell what was happening.

“Hey, you still believe that crap?”

Then, Kim Yuna stepped forward, looking as if she’d finally cleared the air.

“There’s no way he’s an L-Grade Player if he’s getting wrecked like that by my dad. Hmm, even if he were L-Grade, would my dad still win?”

A smile was blooming on Kim Yuna’s face.

“Yeah, I knew it was a lie from the start.”

“Ugh, Mik’s dad is so pathetic.”

The kids glanced dismissively at Mimic after hearing Kim Yuna’s words, then crowded around her.

“Yuna, your dad’s so strong! A Ranker for a dad—I’m so jealous…”

“Can you get his autograph for us?”

They were intrigued by Kim Yuna’s father, the Ranker.

That was the moment the kids were envying Kim Yuna.

THUD!!!

Kim Honggu’s fist slammed into Ha Gangwoo’s stomach, sending him stumbling as he skidded across the ground.

The tide of the once-balanced fight had completely turned in Kim Honggu’s favor.

“Hey, your dad’s gonna get himself killed like that. If you’re weak, don’t talk big.”

Kim Yuna watched the scene unfold, a smirk curling across her lips as she stepped toward Mimic.

“If I step in, my dad might go easy on you. Beg me now—while you still can—and I’ll ask him to hold back.”

Kim Yuna leaned down, her breath hot against Mimic’s ear as she whispered.

Whoosh—Thunk!!!

In that instant, Kim Honggu’s axe sheared clean through Ha Gangwoo’s right arm.

Thud—

Ha Gangwoo’s arm struck the earth, hollow and final.

“Aagh! His arm—his arm’s cut off! Mik! Apologize, now! Keep this up and your dad’s really gonna die!”

“He said he’ll let you live if you say sorry! Hurry up and apologize, Mik!”

Even the other kids watching the fight pressed Mimic to yield, but her expression never flickered—stone-still, unreadable.

Whoosh—Thunk—

And then Gangwoo’s left arm was gone too. Thud. Blood painted the ground in crimson streaks, and the faces around them hardened into grim masks.

Everyone thought the fight was over.

But in that quiet, Mimic’s small lips finally moved, slowly parting.

“Master never loses.”

“What?”

The children tilted their heads, baffled by Mimic’s cryptic words—just as—

Ding—

[Demonization activated.]

Fssss—

Black smoke coiled up from Ha Gangwoo’s entire body.

“What the hell?!”

The kids stared at the sudden plume of darkness; the smoke thinned, and a man’s silhouette emerged through the haze.

Massive horns thrusting from his forehead, colossal wings beating easily past two meters.

“Whoa…”

“That’s!”

The kids’ mouths hung open in disbelief, pupils fixed on the man before them.

Krrrrr—

Ding—

[400 HP consumed.]

[Restoring lost limb.]

Fwoosh—

The man’s severed arm grew back whole. And then, in voices brimming with certainty, the children murmured.

“It’s Mr. Ha.”

“Whoa… it’s real. No freaking way.”

The kids marveled at Gangwoo’s Demonization—and then the truly staggering thing happened.

Ding—

[Demon: Force Discharge activated!!!]

CRAAAACK!!!!

A thunderous explosion followed, and—BOOM—Kim Honggu, who’d been the victor until now, went tumbling across the ground.

CLANG!!! The axe drove uselessly into the dirt at that same moment.

Stomp—

Ha Gangwoo’s heavy foot pressed lightly against Kim Honggu’s solar plexus.

The flow of battle had flipped completely.

But the real fight was just beginning.

Ding—

[Extreme Strike Stance activated.]

[Next attack carries 10x destructive power.]

A violet radiance bloomed across Ha Gangwoo’s entire body.

And then—

Ding—

[Demon: Seismic Stomp activated.]

CRAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!

“AAAGH!!!!!!!!!!”

Kim Honggu’s agonized scream rang out across the field and beyond.

***

[Demon: Seismic Stomp activated.]

CRAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!

KRA-THOOM!!!!!

The earth around Ha Gangwoo screamed and split with a jagged crack, fissures spiderwebbing outward.

“Aaaargh!!!!!!”

With every tremor, Kim Honggu let out a desperate shriek and gripped Gangwoo’s foot with all his might, his fingers digging in with a crunch.

A sharp, electric pain shot up Gangwoo’s leg.

‘Tenacious bastard.’

Ha Gangwoo’s eyes went cold as he shifted his weight again, pressing down.

‘Seismic Stomp.’

Ding-

[You have used Demon: Seismic Stomp.]

Crack!!!!!!

“Kkhhuuuck!!!!”

This time the blow landed—a sound like air escaping a punctured lung leaked out.

But his grip on Gangwoo’s foot held, crunching, relentless.

Kim Honggu still hadn’t given up.

Ding-

[You have used Demon: Seismic Stomp.]

Crack!!!!!!

Ding-

[You have used Demon: Seismic Stomp.]

Crack!!!!!!

So Gangwoo didn’t stop.

Crunch—crunch—

A sinister tremor radiated from the ground beneath Ha Gangwoo’s feet, over and over.

And with each one,

-Kkhhuuuuck!

-Aaaargh!!!

the screams echoed high into the blue sky.

That brutal stretch of time dragged on for tens of minutes,

“Hngh… hngh…”

until Kim Yuna, watching the scene, collapsed to the floor with a thud, sobbing.

Her mind was blank.

‘What do I do? If this keeps up, Dad is going to…’

He would die. She knew it.

Kim Yuna had to save her father. But there was nothing she could do.

Then her eyes landed on a little girl.

“Mik, I was wrong… hngh… hngh… Please, stop him.”

Kim Yuna dropped to her knees and began pleading with Mimic.

Tears and snot streamed down her face, her sobs raw and desperate.

Normally, it was a request Mimic would have gladly accepted. But not this time.

“You give back what you take.”

That man deserved exactly what he’d dealt out.

“Please! Mik! I was wrong. I’ll beg if you want me to. Just stop him—your dad!”

Kim Yuna clasped her hands together, begging desperately,

“Ugh—Aaaargh!!!!!!”

but Kim Honggu’s screams continued.

How many more minutes passed?

“Haaah… haaah…”

Kim Honggu gasped for breath like a dying man, and Ha Gangwoo stepped off his body and turned around.

‘That’s about enough.’

This PvP had taught Gangwoo a lot.

He didn’t know exactly what level that man operated at, but he knew he himself was lower.

Kim Honggu’s axe had been vicious, his responses seasoned.

Without the power of Demonization, Gangwoo would have been the one crumpled on the ground.

So this PvP wasn’t a satisfying experience at all.

Frowning at his own shortcomings, Ha Gangwoo walked toward Mimic.

“You son of a bitch!!! Where do you think you’re going! It’s not over yet!!!!!”

Behind Gangwoo’s back, Kim Honggu dragged his mangled body upright and roared.

But Ha Gangwoo had no intention of fighting anymore.

The physical damage he’d inflicted on Kim Honggu was beyond recovery—the man couldn’t fight again if he wanted to.

Everything the bastard was doing now was just a deathbed thrash.

Ha Gangwoo ignored Kim Honggu’s desperate flailing and took a slow step forward.

“You son of a bitch! You think I’m just gonna let you walk?”

Gulp—gulp—

Kim Honggu pulled something from his Inventory and started drinking.

New flesh slowly knit over his savaged, torn-open body.

“You’ll regret it if you just leave.”

Kim Honggu’s low voice hammered against Ha Gangwoo’s eardrums.

“Your daughter—your parents—your whole goddamn family—I’ll kill every last one of them with my own hands!!!”

Kim Honggu started laughing like a man who’d lost his mind, a broken cackle.

Ha Gangwoo stopped mid-step at the taunt.

Szzzzzt—

Was it the Demonfolk Wrath still churning inside him?

Crack—

He knew it was a cheap provocation.

Ha Gangwoo had no family left for Kim Honggu to threaten.

His younger brother was long dead, and his only remaining family, Mimic, was stronger than he was.

And yet, somehow, those words made him angry.

“Fine. Let’s see this through.”

Ha Gangwoo spread his palm, his eyes gone cold and flat as frozen steel.

Ding—

[You have summoned Samyun’s Wrath from the Inventory.]

A longsword gleaming with an eerie violet light slid into his grip like it belonged there.

Ding—

[You have gained the Rampage (Death) effect.]

* Rampage (Death)—Absorbs Demonic energy to increase all stats.

(Caution! Accumulated Demonic energy will numb your reason.)

Ding—

[Absorbing 140 Demonic Energy.]

[All stats have increased by 70.]

[Absorbing 140 Demonic Energy.]

[All stats have increased by 70.]

In an instant, every muscle in Ha Gangwoo’s body screamed and began to swell.

Szzzzzt—

Violet Demonic energy seeped from every inch of Ha Gangwoo’s body.

“… …”

Did Kim Honggu feel that killing intent, too?

“You fucking monster.”

Thud— thud—

Kim Honggu froze in place, watching the monster advance toward him.

Enormous bat wings, a ram’s horns, a tail like a chain of iron.

The very image of a demon from the Cataclysms.

And that violet Demonic energy—it was so terrifying it made his legs tremble.

“Yeah! That’s how you should fucking come at me!!!”

But Kim Honggu was still the 999th strongest man in the world, wasn’t he.

He possessed power to match that rank, and he had lived a desperate, brutal life.

Crack—

So thump-thump—Kim Honggu didn’t stop.

Even knowing full well that this fight would end with his own defeat.

“Rrraaaah!!!!”

Kim Honggu gripped his axe with all his might and charged at Ha Gangwoo.

In a heartbeat, he was in front of Ha Gangwoo, planting his foot into the ground with a THUD! to swing his axe—

Whir—

Ha Gangwoo’s blade was already sweeping across Kim Honggu’s throat.

“Fuck.”

Kim Honggu felt certain he was about to die. He thought it was all over.

But that very moment—

*Swoosh—*

A single ray of light streaked down from the blue sky, crashing between Ha Gangwoo and Kim Honggu. *Boom!* A massive explosion erupted.

“Ahh!”

Kim Honggu tumbled awkwardly across the ground.

Coming to his senses, he touched his neck.

Blood gushed profusely from the deep gash. But he was still alive.

‘Alive… I’m alive.’

As Kim Honggu breathed a sigh of relief, Ha Gangwoo casually stepped back, gazing at the source of the explosion.

“…”

Thick smoke cleared, revealing a silhouette.

*Grrrrr—*

A breath that hummed with an eerie resonance.

Two massive horns, tattered wings.

The creature’s gaze fixed on Ha Gangwoo.

An unsettling violet glint in its eyes.

‘Demonfolk.’

The moment Ha Gangwoo realized what he was facing—

The Demonfolk with violet eyes intoned slowly.

-Found you.