Beneath the dark sky, in a clearing dimly lit by moonlight.

Thwack-

A blade swept across an abdomen, sending blood gushing.

“Huff… huff.”

“Damn, I’m beat.”

Fifty Players gasped for air, their faces twisted in exhaustion.

The monster carcasses strewn around them bore witness to the ferocity of the battle.

Just as Red Team finished hunting and was about to choose their base, a system window rose before them.

Ding-

[All factions have established their main bases!!!!]

[Ranking will now be measured!]

1st: Blue

2nd Place: Red

3rd Place: Purple

4th Place: Green

A single System window materialized before their eyes. Everyone frowned as they looked at the ranking board.

“What the hell?! We did all that and we’re only second?”

“Whoa… Where the hell did Blue Team score?”

A temple earned after over ten hours of grueling Clearing. They’d been certain they were first.

But the rank was second.

For an instant, the Red Team members glanced sideways at one man, stealing looks and gauging his mood.

In the spot their gazes landed, one man sat.

On top of a massive Black Giant Orc’s head.

Crunch.

A heavy greatsword scraped over the orc’s skull, making a grizzly sound.

That man was none other than Kang Seongbin.

He looked at the System window floating before him and knew it for certain.

“It’s Blue.”

Before the trial began, he’d glimpsed a man wrapped in immense Mana. He’d thought his eyes were playing tricks, but now that first place had been snatched away, he was sure.

That bastard was on Blue Team.

Kang Seongbin bared a chilling smile and was about to rise from his seat when—

Ding-

[The location of the top-ranking faction is always revealed.]

A System window flickered into view, and then—

Flash!!!

Beyond the dark thicket, a brilliant pillar of blue light shot into the sky.

“What’s that?”

“Is that… Blue Team’s Formation?”

Red Team members craned their necks, staring at the blue pillar as their brows furrowed.

‘No way he’s going to make us charge in, right?’

‘We’re starving, and we’re at our limit…’

Kang Seongbin had pushed them with unreasonable demands all this time—they could already guess what his next order would be.

Their leader was, plain to see, consumed by an insane competitive drive.

He’d seized leadership by force the moment the trial began, and that first move had already worn the Red Team thin.

Still, as they cleared the temple, the team had felt certain.

—First place!

—We did all that; we’re first for sure.

It was grueling, but they believed the reward would be worth it. Yet the result was second place.

So what would their fiercely competitive leader do, now that he saw who’d taken first?

It wouldn’t have surprised anyone if he ordered an immediate attack.

The Red Team members watched Kang Seongbin with tense eyes—

But Seongbin only stared at the pillar of blue light, his expression sinking coldly.

‘Interesting.’

With the top faction’s position exposed like that, there was only one thing to do.

Kang Seongbin climbed down from the orc’s head and called over one of the men.

“Tomorrow, head over there and try negotiating.”

“Wh-what?! Me?”

The man flinched at Seongbin’s words, a question forming on his lips before he shut them tight.

In that instant, a chilling murderous intent had swept over his entire body.

“Eep! Ah… got it.”

He had no choice but to accept the order. Kang Seongbin slung his greatsword over his shoulder and spoke.

“We’ll split into groups of twenty-four—half on watch, half resting.”

Despite the team’s unease, Red Team spent the entire night resting.

***

Ding-

[Selected the Origin of Power.]

[Blue Faction Players gain +20% Strength while within Formation.]

In an instant, a blue radiance seeped into the bodies of all fifty Players.

“Haah… no matter how I think about it, the Save Point seems like the better choice.”

“Why? Scared you’ll die? Just crush anyone who comes — problem solved.”

The party members were still at odds, voicing their opinions.

“Enough. The choice has been made.”

Ha Gangwoo’s cold voice cut through the argument, and the arguing Players fell silent.

The selection before them was the reward for taking first place.

[Please choose your reward.]

1. Font of Strength — Increases Strength by 20% while within Formation.

2. Gain 1 Save Point. — Consume a Save Point to resurrect a Player. (Caution! Resurrection is impossible when Points reach 0.)

3. Faction Expansion — Expands the Faction’s territory by 1KM.

There had been three options, and everyone had weighed in.

In the end, the choice was Option 1: Font of Strength. As long as you stayed in Formation, your Strength got a 20% boost.

‘Not bad.’

Ha Gangwoo was satisfied with the chosen reward.

With their position so blatantly exposed like this, other factions could strike at any moment.

Given that, the best choice for defense — Option 1 — was the soundest judgment.

Ha Gangwoo stood before the city gate and tilted his head up.

A pillar of intense light shot up into the dark sky, casting a blue glow over everything around them.

“What’s the next quest, anyway.”

Just what kind of quest was so harsh they had to slap on a penalty like this? It was way too unfair.

“Fuck, how are we supposed to sleep with this going on.”

“Double the watch, I guess. What else can we do.”

Everyone looked uneasy, their expressions grim.

As if things weren’t bad enough already.

“We’re low on food. I think we’ll run out by tomorrow morning.”

“We should think about item durability too. Today’s fighting burned through half of it.”

Right now they needed enough food to feed fifty mouths and repairs for their gear — and on top of all that, their position was exposed.

Ha Gangwoo scratched his temple, lost in thought over the miserable situation.

‘Repairs, I can probably figure out. But food… that’s the real problem.’

Item repairs — the party’s Blacksmith could probably come up with something — but food was a huge issue.

The supplies they’d secured since the trial began, just counting the gathering time, had to be over six hours.

And now it’d be gone by morning. No wonder the party members were on edge.

‘Let’s deal with at least one problem first.’

Ha Gangwoo made a decision on the spot.

If he just stood by and did nothing, Blue Team would collapse within the remaining six days.

They’d be hungry from the lack of food, their gear would keep degrading.

And with their location exposed on top of that, the stress would hit a breaking point.

He had to solve at least one thing.

“Everyone, gather around.”

Ha Gangwoo called over the teammates who were still dithering.

“There’s no need to be afraid. This Job-Change Trial isn’t a game of factions stealing and killing each other. At least not until the Day 2 quest comes out.”

Gulp.

Everyone leaned in at Ha Gangwoo’s words; he strolled forward leisurely and continued.

“So, until the second-day Quest drops, there’s no need to worry much. For now, let’s clear the trees nearby and expand our view.”

At Ha Gangwoo’s suggestion, everyone nodded.

The area around the entity was blocked by a dense forest, cutting off visibility.

Blocked vision was a factor that amplified anxiety.

If only the trees weren’t there, the light pillar would have revealed everything approaching.

At the very least, the unease about enemy ambushes would have diminished.

“Let’s start right now.”

“Yes, sir!!!”

With Ha Gangwoo’s command, Blue Team threw themselves into the work, buzzing with activity.

***

“Haaah~ man, I’m dead tired.”

On the watchtower atop the entity, a man who looked pretty worn out rubbed his eyes and scanned the surroundings.

A neat circular clearing had formed around the entity. The view was so open that both Monsters and allies were visible at a glance.

‘Why aren’t they here yet!’

The man waited desperately for his replacement.

Yesterday’s life-risking Clearing of the entity. A meal that barely reached his stomach.

On top of that, sleep deprivation hit him hard, and frustration surged up.

‘Shit, are they slacking off? Ah… I’m hungry.’

And then, as the man was locked in his battle with time happen—

“Time for your relief.”

The replacement had arrived.

The man’s face scrunched up in irritation as he shouted.

“Hey, why so la—”

He cut himself mid-complaint, then cautiously checked the replacement’s expression.

“H-Ha Gangwoo Player, what brings you here…?”

The next person on duty was the leader of Blue Team, the monster who had blown away the Boss in a single strike. Ha Gangwoo.

“I came to stand guard. Go in and rest.”

“Huh? Ah… alright.”

Odd that someone with a leader role would offer to stand watch, but the man stepped aside without protest.

And so Ha Gangwoo stood atop the entity and slowly closed his eyes.

‘When will it come.’

A day had already passed.

Morning approached, and the sun rose through a hazy fog.

But the second-day Quest still hadn’t appeared.

Ha Gangwoo gazed at the blue light pillar shooting high into the sky.

‘I just hope it’s not a competition Quest.’

With their position so blatantly exposed like this.

If a competition Quest did pop up, the other three factions might join hands.

No matter how strong Ha Gangwoo’s specs were, if three factions teamed up, he’d have no way to handle it.

Ha Gangwoo waited restlessly for the second-day Quest.

And so, thirty minutes passed with his eyes shut tight.

Whish—

Ha Gangwoo slowly opened his eyes and spoke in a low voice.

‘Here they come.’

The reason he’d come out on the watchtower to stand guard.

Ha Gangwoo had been waiting for something besides the second-day Quest.

The moment Ha Gangwoo was certain of something, a loud voice rang out from below the entity.

“Enemy spotted!!!!!”

“Halt!!!”

***

Thump! Thump!

“Fuck. That bastard’s team, no doubt.”

Hwang Taeseong gnawed at his thumbnail, restless, and stepped forward.

Kang Seongbin’s orders replayed in his head.

—Go in my place. Act as the Red Team leader. Feel out the room, propose an alliance. Find the weakest faction. Better yet, turn them against each other.

‘What the hell was he talking about?’

Seongbin had given him an order he couldn’t parse, and Taeseong had just nodded along, blank.

Click. Click.

Now all he could do was chew his nails and feel the dread creep in.

Because for sure—most definitely—the Blue Team’s leader was that piece of shit who’d been hounding him all along.

Without thinking, Taeseong’s feet carried him toward the blue glow, and then an enormous fortress and a wide clearing filled his view.

“No way… this is their base?”

It was solid and massive beyond comparison to their own camp.

‘No wonder they took first.’

Taeseong forced himself to stay calm and approached the castle. But something felt off.

‘Is nobody here?’

The clearing looked unnatural—the Blue Team had clearly cleared the surrounding trees.

The reason was obvious: to spot incoming enemies. But there were no sentries, not even a guard at the entrance.

Puzzled, Taeseong moved toward the massive gate.

Then,

“Please, come in.”

A man opened the door and welcomed him inside.

‘What? He knew I was coming?’

Startled, Taeseong scratched his cheek and stepped into the fortress.

Inside, he spotted a single table.

“You’re here?”

A woman waved cheerfully at him, smiling like an old friend.

He’d never seen her face before, but she sure acted glad to see him, waving with gusto.

‘…’

And then he saw them. Two men.

‘Fuck. My luck’s run dry.’

Those two were none other than Ha Gangwoo and Hua Yian.

Both of them had given him the worst memories of his life.

As Taeseong hesitated in front of the table, Gangwoo rose and gestured to an empty chair.

“Everyone’s already here. You’re Red Team, right?”

“What? Oh—yes?”

Taeseong, flustered by the unexpected situation, looked between Gangwoo and the two people already seated at the table.

‘He knows I’m Red Team…’

It finally clicked.

He wasn’t the only one here—Green Team and Purple Team had arrived too.

‘So that’s what he meant.’

Taeseong now understood why Seongbin had said what he did.

—Go in my place. Act as the leader. Propose an alliance. Find the weakest faction. Better yet, turn them against each other.

Seongbin had predicted this exact situation. But why did he want him to find the weakest faction?

A few more questions nagged at him, but Taeseong kept his composure and sat down at the table.

Then, the woman who’d been waving at him slammed her hand on the table—*thump!*—grinned wide, and opened her mouth.

“You must be the one from Red Team. The leader? I’m Narumi Akane, leader of Green Team.”

“I’m Hwang Taeseong from Red Team. What were you all discussing before I arrived?”

Hwang Taeseong asked, gauging the room to catch up on the situation.

“We were waiting for you—figured you’d show eventually.”

“Ah… I see.”

As expected of a Player chosen to lead fifty others—his judgment was a cut above the rest.

And so the idle chatter went on.

Amid it, Ha Gangwoo looked over the gathered Players and spoke in a low voice.

“What’s the reason for coming? We’re busy.”

He appreciated them coming in person, but he put on a prickly front to seize the upper hand.

Unfazed, Akane slammed the table with a sharp *thump* and shot back at him.

“Let’s help each other! The job-change trial is no place for bloodshed. We form an alliance—each of us just needs to hit our own goals.”

Akane voiced her opinion with confidence, but the response was lukewarm at best.

A job-change trial was supposed to be relative evaluation through competition. And now she was talking about an alliance? It was utter nonsense.

But Akane, as if she’d expected this reaction, eased herself into her seat and folded her arms.

“I’m not suggesting we take turns being first place or anything. I’m just proposing we add a few rules.”

“Rules?”

“Yes.”

At Akane’s calm tone, everyone from Hua Yian to Hwang Taeseong leaned in to listen.

“The goal is the job change, isn’t it? The enemy is the Monsters, not the Players. Let’s refrain from drawing each other’s blood. And if someone falls into danger, we help them. Even if you end up fourth, at least there won’t be any casualties.”

“……”

Everyone fell silent at Akane’s opinion.

It was true—the current trial was just a means to the job change. None of them wanted pointless slaughter.

‘Perfect.’

In that moment, Kang Seongbin’s words flashed through Hwang Taeseong’s mind.

-Even better if you can make them fight each other.

He didn’t know the reason, but there had to be a purpose behind it.

It wasn’t a bad proposal, but Hwang Taeseong had already decided to refuse the alliance. Just as he was slowly opening his mouth to speak.

“I decline.”

Hua Yian cut in first, stealing his thunder.

“Huh? Why? It’s mutually beneficial. What, are you planning on killing each other or something?”

Akane’s expression instantly darkened, hardening into something dangerous.

The proposal just made was meant to prevent murder by adding a few rules — and he was rejecting it. Rage flared inside her chest.

But Hua Yian’s face didn’t flicker. He spoke low and flat.

“If you’re just going to spout nonsense like this, let’s get going.”

“W-What did you say?!”

Akane’s face flushed scarlet. She slammed the table — *thud* — and shot to her feet, but Hua Yian simply rose slowly and said,

“From the moment you enter the Tower, there’s no such thing as allies. Everyone moves only for their own growth. Allies? One quest, and they’ll shatter.”

“Wait!!”

Hua Yian left those words behind and strode out past the city gates.

It was the instant Akane’s voice cracked through the air, shouting after him, trying to call him back—

*Ding-*

[Day 2 Quest has arrived.]

The Day 2 Quest surfaced—the one that could turn this very moment into hell.