A spirit beast stood before me, resembling a small deer with fur that shimmered in five brilliant colors.

The spirit beast’s species was a kirin.

It was a rare spirit beast that would be born if fed all five elements in equal twenty-percent proportions, so long as nothing living was consumed.

“Uung…….”

The newly born kirin slowly approached me.

This compassionate spirit beast would never harm a living thing—it would not even trample grass or kill an insect.

Yet it could not pass by a dying creature, either.

[The special ability ‘Purification’ has been activated!]

[The Myriad Fragrance fruit’s poison is beginning to dissipate!]

The kirin came closer and gently rubbed its head against mine.

The toxic energy gradually faded, and breathing became easier.

“Kkeullok, kkeullok.”

Even so, the Myriad Fragrance fruit tree still blazed, radiating a powerful poisonous aura.

At this rate, I would be poisoned again without question.

I rose to my feet and asked the kirin.

“Can you purify that thing entirely too?”

“Ung!”

The kirin stepped forward with a dignified air, as if to say it would try.

Then, squeezing its eyes shut, white light gathered around its horn and grew steadily brighter.

[The special ability ‘Purification’ has been activated!]

The light of purification began to engulf the violet haze that had stained the sky above.

Poison and light intertwined as though each sought to devour the other—and in that moment, the poison fog thrashed about like a dying scream before white light filled my vision entirely.

[All of the Myriad Fragrance fruit’s poison has been purified!]

In an instant, the surrounding air turned clear.

A burned tree, and before it, a single small kirin standing quietly.

It had been a fairly potent poison, yet it had been completely purified.

I had heard that spirit beasts were powerful, but this exceeded all expectations.

“Ungung!”

The kirin was hopping about joyfully.

The poison fog was gone now, and the surroundings had grown quiet.

Though part of that quiet was because some had died.

[The special ability ‘Fortune Stealing’ has been activated!]

I examined their Fortune Windows and stole only a few useful fates.

Considering the penalty of karma, stealing fortunes that were too weak would only result in greater losses.

The more karma accumulated, the closer one drew to the Boundary.

As I was plundering their fates, a small groan reached my ears from nearby.

“Hahk, heuk…….”

Among those nearby, a few still clung to life.

Tenacious creatures, these.

As I stood watching them quietly, the kirin nudged me.

“Uung?”

The kirin gazed up at me with sorrowful eyes.

As though pleading for their lives.

“Ung?”

The kirin was wonderful in every way—except for one problem. It was far too merciful.

If I let them die here, the kirin would harbor resentment toward me.

I deliberated briefly, then turned away.

“Do as you please.”

* * *

“Thank you, thank you…….”

The Zone 1 members were streaming tears as they offered words of gratitude.

Those who had narrowly escaped death thanks to the kirin just moments ago were kneeling respectfully.

Hong Daehoon, too, was bowing his head so deeply it bordered on groveling.

Seo Kangrim addressed Hong Daehoon.

“Hey.”

“Y-yes, yes!”

“Where’s the rest of your crew?”

Hong Daehoon’s gang had clearly been far larger than this.

As one of them knelt and glanced about nervously, Hong Daehoon hastily spoke up.

“In case you’re wondering, we came only among ourselves. The rest are standing by at our quarters.”

“…….”

“I’ll make sure they never set foot in Zone 2 again, I swear it!”

Hong Daehoon pressed his forehead to the floor and performed a deep bow.

The kirin stood beside him, blinking its eyes.

Seo Kangrim glanced at the kirin and let out a sigh.

“I’ll let it slide this once. Go.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

Hong Daehoon gathered his crew and scrambled away as though fleeing.

Only after bursting out of the cave and running for some distance did they finally come to a halt.

Hong Daehoon slammed his fist into a nearby tree and spat out a curse.

“Damn it, getting robbed by a single guy……!”

The face that had been so servile and submissive moments ago now seethed with rage.

A companion who had fled alongside him gasped out between breaths.

“Still, we got lucky. We made it out alive…….”

“Lucky? A hundred million won just slipped through my fingers!”

Hong Daehoon glared at his companions with murderous eyes.

The hundred-million-won bounty for achieving the first clear of an upper-level difficulty.

Greed still swam in his eyes.

“By numbers alone, we have the advantage. If we all gang up on Seo Kangrim again……!”

“I-I’m out!”

Unlike the emboldened Hong Daehoon, the rest of his companions were far more skeptical.

One of them spoke with a face pale with fear.

“Seo Kangrim was one thing, but that weird deer looked dangerous too. If we get tangled up with them any more…….”

“My life is more important than money! I’m dropping out of the program while I can.”

Hong Daehoon’s expression turned to one of sheer disbelief.

Quitting the program because they were scared of a single person?

He bellowed.

“Fine. Whatever! I’ll handle it myself and keep the prize money all to myself. You bunch of cowards.”

Hong Daehoon left his crew behind and began sprinting back toward Zone 2.

He gripped his Bangcheonhwageok tightly.

‘I don’t necessarily have to fight Seo Kangrim one-on-one. If I take a hostage, he’ll have to back down!’

What he truly wanted was to kill Seo Kangrim, but for now, he decided to focus on the first clear.

All he needed was to snatch the Myriad Fragrance fruit from Seo Kangrim, and the hundred million won would be his.

‘I just need to grab the weakest-looking one from Zone 2. Then the hundred million is all mine……!’

-Kkajik!

At that moment, Hong Daehoon, sprinting without watching his step, caught on something and tumbled to the ground.

He cursed as he scrambled to his feet.

“Damn it, what the hell did I trip on——.”

In that instant, he felt a cold sensation against his throat.

Someone had pressed a blade to his neck.

“Quick on your feet, aren’t you.”

“Y-you, how did you get here——.”

Hong Daehoon was panicking at the sudden appearance of Seo Kangrim.

He had no idea Seo Kangrim had been pursuing him using the ‘Hidden One’ ability, so the surprise was understandable.

Seo Kangrim spoke in a quiet voice.

“I couldn’t deal with you earlier because of the kirin.”

The kirin was a spirit beast that rejected blood and killing.

If he killed someone in front of it, there was a chance it would refuse to obey him.

Hearing Seo Kangrim’s words, Hong Daehoon shouted desperately.

“So you’re going to kill me? If you do, your companions will be in danger!”

At that, Seo Kangrim seemed to hesitate for a moment.

Hong Daehoon’s eyes darted rapidly as he spoke.

“I said my crew was at the quarters, right? That was a lie. They all went after the Zone 2 people! They’re hitting that side!”

In truth, his gang had already swarmed the Zone 2 quarters.

Seo Kangrim said nothing.

Hong Daehoon, apparently believing his threat had landed, grinned and continued.

“But don’t worry. If you let me live, I can negotiate with them. I won’t let them kill your companions.”

Hong Daehoon glanced anxiously at the blade touching his throat.

A moment later, the blade slowly drew back, and he exhaled a breath of relief.

At the same time, Seo Kangrim opened his mouth.

“You made two mistakes.”

The relief was short-lived. Hong Daehoon felt goosebumps erupt across his entire body.

Seo Kangrim’s voice was as cold as a blade.

The killing intent radiating from him was incomparable to what had come before.

“I already knew your crew was heading for Zone 2.”

“……!”

“And if you wanted to live…….”

-Seogeok!

“You shouldn’t have threatened me with the Zone 2 members.”

Seo Kangrim’s sword traced a horizontal arc, and in an instant, the ground was stained with blood.

Hong Daehoon could say nothing more.

Seo Kangrim activated his ability toward the corpse.

[The special ability ‘Fortune Stealing’ has been activated!]

[A portion of Hong Daehoon’s ‘Strength’ has been stolen!]

After stealing Hong Daehoon’s fate, Seo Kangrim collected the Bangcheonhwageok and the remaining items, then departed.

Upon returning to the campsite, Father Yohan greeted Seo Kangrim with a face drained of all color.

“B-Brother Seo Kangrim……!”

The campsite looked vastly different from how it had that morning.

Tents had collapsed throughout the area, trees and grass were sheared off, and blood splattered across the ground—all evidence of the battle that had taken place.

“Father, are you uninjured?”

“Y-yes. I’m fine. Brother Dokgo Jun protected me…….”

A glance toward the interior revealed a commotion coming from within.

Soon, Dokgo Jun appeared.

“Ah, Seo Kangrim. You’re back? The Zone 1 people attacked, so I was just cleaning up.”

Dokgo Jun was grinning as usual.

The only difference was that his face was splattered with blood.

In one hand, he held the collar of someone unconscious.

“Mr. Kangrim, are you all right?”

Shin Sooa appeared as well.

From her bloodied fists, it seemed she had handled things capably.

Seo Kangrim felt inwardly relieved at the sight.

‘I figured this group could handle a Zone 1 raid without issue. But they were even stronger than I expected.’

Swallowing those thoughts, he pulled the Myriad Fragrance fruit from his Storage Pouch and distributed it to the group.

The tree had burned away, but he had managed to secure Zone 2’s share of the Myriad Fragrance fruit.

Yoon Gyeoul spoke with an excited face.

“Wow, upper-level complete!”

“Master, how did you find this? Is it really okay for us to just take it?”

“I’ll explain that later. And I’ll be the one to claim the first clear.”

“Of course!”

He had a promise to keep with Team Leader Princess, and he intended to honor it.

As Seo Kangrim turned the door handle, a notification window appeared before his eyes.

[You have cleared the ‘Room of Tread’!]

[You have successfully cleared it at upper-level difficulty!]

[As a first clear reward, ‘Guide of Destiny’ has arrived!]

What arrived for Seo Kangrim was an item of unknown nature, shaped similarly to a compass.

And it was one of the things he needed most.

═══════════════

[Item] Guide of Destiny

[Rank] First Dragon Grade

[Description] An item that guides the way when the owner’s fate is wandering. Automatically activates when conditions are met.

═══════════════

The ‘Guide of Destiny’ was an item that essentially provided divination readings.

A precious item that offered counsel in moments of crisis or when important decisions had to be made.

‘With the Guide of Destiny, I can respond to a changing future to some degree.’

The ‘Guide of Destiny’ lay dormant and silent, showing no reaction whatsoever.

Seo Kangrim placed it inside his Storage Pouch, then closed the door to the Demon Realm and departed.

* * *

“So in the end, Hong Daehoon failed?”

“……That’s how it turned out.”

“Hmm.”

Seomun Yongnyeo threw a dart at the dartboard with an expressionless face.

The dart struck dead center with a sharp kkak.

Seomun Yongnyeo spoke with a twisted smile.

“Zone 2 is stronger than expected. Not only did they produce the first clearer, but they wiped out Zone 1 entirely…….”

Hong Daehoon and his inner circle were dead, and a significant number of others would be discharged for failing to meet mission requirements, drastically reducing Zone 1’s personnel.

Hearing such a report had put a sharp edge in Seomun Yongnyeo’s eyes.

Just then, a knock came accompanied by a voice.

“Team Leader Seomun, may I come in?”

“Please do.”

At her permission, the door opened.

And simultaneously, a dart flew toward the door.

-Tak!

The sharp tip of the dart stopped perilously close to the face of the person entering.

Princess caught the dart barehanded and clicked her tongue in irritation.

“I told you to stop doing that.”

“Oh, sorry about that. It was an accident.”

“Well, I’ll let it slide as you blowing off some steam. Losing a bet is enough to make anyone angry.”

Princess said with the corner of her mouth tilted upward.

Seomun Yongnyeo wore a smiling face, but anyone could see she was irritated.

“Congratulations. I hear Zone 2 produced the first clearer? Goes by the name Seo Kangrim, I believe…….”

Her eyes flashed like a predator eyeing its prey.

“I’d very much like to meet him.”