Crack—

Mimic’s small hand squeezed Kang Seongbin’s wrist tightly.

Though it was a small hand, the crushing pressure was enough to shatter an elephant’s leg.

“What the hell is this brat.”

Kang Seongbin’s gaze turned freezing cold at the sharp pain.

That kid who’d been clinging to Ha Gangwoo’s side for a while now. It bothered him.

A System thoroughly managed by the Association.

The reality was that at such a young age, you couldn’t even enter the Tutorial.

He was certain she was connected to that bastard somehow.

*Crackle—*

Under Mimic’s grip, Kang Seongbin’s skin twisted and split open.

And seeing this power, he felt certain.

”Interesting.”

The fact that this brat had some connection to that guy.

Kang Seongbin was studying Mimic with growing interest when—

“That’s enough.”

Jo Seunghyun stepped forward to stop him. But Kang Seongbin, as if he hadn’t heard a word, tightened his grip on Mimic’s collar with a sickening *grind*.

*Crack—*

Mimic’s throat was constricted so tight she could barely breathe.

Her small brow furrowed.

”Bad person!”

Every time Mimic struggled, the hand gripping her squeezed even harder.

Each time, a chilling bloodlust prickled at Mimic’s instincts.

That man was bad—something she had to kill.

In that instant, Mimic’s eyes went cold.

”I’ll kill him.”

But she couldn’t reach her dagger.

With her neck choked like this, her Storage system was as good as blocked.

So instead, Mimic opened her small mouth wide.

*Crunch—*

She bit down on Kang Seongbin’s arm with all her might.

*Drip—drip—*

Crimson blood flowed from Kang Seongbin’s arm, staining the floor.

But Kang Seongbin didn’t even flinch.

He just stared down at Mimic with cold eyes.

As the atmosphere grew more hostile,

“Haah…”

Jo Seunghyun let out a deep sigh and walked toward Kang Seongbin.

He didn’t know why Mik was with Seongbin, but Seongbin wasn’t the type to go easy on anyone, let alone a child. He had to calm things down, fast.

“That kid is his daughter. Stop this.”

Jo Seunghyun spoke to Kang Seongbin again, and at those words, Seongbin’s brow twitched.

“Daughter…?”

Kang Seongbin looked at Mimic, who was still biting into his arm.

A little kid, maybe six years old. Struggling and gnawing on his arm with her small teeth.

The coldness in Kang Seongbin’s eyes suddenly dissolved.

”What the hell am I doing messing with a kid?”

No matter how pissed off he was, using force on a brat like this—he was disgusted with himself for sinking that low.

”Fucking pathetic.”

Scowling, Kang Seongbin released his grip on Mimic.

*Gnaw—gnaw—*

But Mimic didn’t let go.

She kept biting his arm, grinding her teeth.

“Mik, stop. I think there’s been a misunderstanding. He’s not that bad of a guy.”

Jo Seunghyun tried to stop her, but it was no use.

One phrase kept circling through Mimic’s mind.

‘Give and take.’

If you received something, you had to give something back. No exceptions.

“There, there. Good girl. Here, have this — now stop.”

Jo Seunghyun pulled a candy from his Inventory and rattled it beside Mimic’s cheek.

A sweet grape scent brushed her nose for an instant,

“Thank you!”

and before anyone could blink, Mimic had slipped off Kang Seongbin’s arm and was holding the candy in her hand.

She popped it into her mouth and started rolling it around — clink — with her tongue.

The fragrant grape sweetness spread through her mouth.

Seven days since she’d last tasted anything sweet. In that moment, Kang Seongbin might as well have ceased to exist. She beamed, a wide, open smile.

“So good~!”

Her eyes sparkled as she licked the candy — right then,

Kang Seongbin looked down at his hand where she’d bitten him.

A deep, hollow indentation in the flesh. That bite force rivaled a decent B-grade Monster.

‘… A monster, all right.’

Kang Seongbin had been an Awakener since birth. He knew what he was looking at.

To have that kind of power at her age… What would she become when she grew up?

He pondered the question for a moment, then looked away.

He had his curiosities, but not enough to go digging with force.

‘Let’s just do the Job Change.’

He forced his mind to settle and took a step forward.

“Hold on a second.”

Jo Seunghyun called after him.

Kang Seongbin stopped mid-stride and turned, his eyes sharp as blades.

“Don’t talk to me. You’re ruining my mood.”

But Seunghyun ignored the dismissal and bowed his upper body to a full ninety degrees.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t do what you asked at the end. You saved my life. I need to repay that properly.”

“……”

“If you want Gold, I’ll give you as much as you want. If there’s an item you need, I’ll get it for you.”

Then he lifted his head and continued in a low, steady voice. His expression showed nothing but resolve.

“But I can’t do things that harm other people.”

A clear gaze with no trace of a lie.

Kang Seongbin stared into those eyes for a long moment, then slowly opened his mouth.

“Don’t need it.”

He turned and walked away.

“What?”

Seunghyun watched his receding back, confused.

“Why not? You don’t need Gold? I have the means. I’m not just talking — ah! Have I already lost your trust… Look, I’ll do anything! I keep my word!”

He hustled after Kang Seongbin, talking the whole way.

Kang Seongbin grimaced, thoroughly annoyed, and snapped.

“I said I don’t need it!”

“Just tell me what you want. Please.”

Seunghyun still wasn’t taking the hint. A vein bulged on Kang Seongbin’s forehead.

He could have drawn his sword and cut him down right there, but without realizing it, Kang Seongbin blurted out what was on his mind.

“The result is shit, but whether you kept your promise or not, I achieved my goal. I got what I wanted, so now get the hell out of my sight!”

Kang Seongbin barked the words and gave Jo Seunghyun a shove on the shoulder.

“Ah!”

Jo Seunghyun stumbled back from the force of Kang Seongbin’s hand, swaying on his feet.

It should have been a humiliating moment, but a smile spread across Jo Seunghyun’s face.

Day 2’s quest. He’d hated himself when it failed. He’d hated his own helplessness.

But there was something else that made him feel even sicker.

—Now. Persuade him and bring him back.

The words Kang Seongbin had spat out in that final moment.

That sentence kept tormenting Jo Seunghyun.

The promise to the benefactor who had saved his life. He hated himself for betraying it.

But the conversation with Kang Seongbin had finally set him free.

In an instant, life flooded back into Jo Seunghyun’s face.

“Understood. If that’s how you see it, then I’ll repay Mr. Kang’s favor my own way! You’re a melee class too, right? I happen to be the same class. Let’s go together.”

Kang Seongbin said it wasn’t necessary, but Jo Seunghyun wouldn’t be swayed. A promise made. He wanted to repay it until he was satisfied, no matter what.

Kang Seongbin ignored Jo Seunghyun and spun on his heel.

Watching Kang Seongbin walk away, Jo Seunghyun slowly curled the corners of his mouth upward.

A candy was already tucked into Jo Seunghyun’s mouth, and he opened it as he followed after Kang Seongbin.

“Come on, let’s go together!!”

“Get lost! Stop being a nuisance and get lost!”

“Ahahaha. Don’t be like that, let’s just go! I won’t get in your way! Mik! You come along too.”

“Yes!”

And so Kang Seongbin, Jo Seunghyun, and Mimic set off toward the place for their Job Change.

***

[Job Change Quest: Path of Ruin the Destroyer acquired.]

Ding-

[You have entered the Cave of the Abyss.]

[The effect of the Golden Altar is applied.]

Whoosh-

A cool wind swept in, carrying the musty scent of damp earth.

Thump— Thump—

Ha Gangwoo stood in the Cave of the Abyss and closed his eyes tightly.

He listened to the pounding of his own heart as he sensed his surroundings.

‘Nothing.’

All that existed was the thick darkness and the cave’s terrain.

Ha Gangwoo slowly opened his eyes and looked around.

Pitch-black darkness, with violet crystals embedded here and there casting the faintest light.

A place where the word ‘abyss’ felt perfectly at home.

Crack—

As he surveyed the area, Ha Gangwoo unconsciously clenched his fist tight.

‘It’s been a while.’

The same unknown fear he’d felt on Tutorial Floor 1 now stimulated all five of his senses.

‘Let’s calm down.’

Ha Gangwoo pulled himself together and immediately checked the quest.

[Path of Ruin the Destroyer][Job Change]

Description: Defeat the Destroyer Ruin at the end of the Cave of the Abyss and inherit his power.

Reward: Job change to Ruin [M].

‘…’

Ha Gangwoo narrowed his eyes as he read the quest.

Whether because of the Golden Altar’s effect, the quest’s description was simple enough.

A straightforward directive: reach the end of the Cave of the Abyss and take down the boss.

‘Difficult.’

But Ha Gangwoo’s expression was grim.

The darkness before him stretched into an endless void.

An energy he’d never felt before bled from every direction.

More chilling than Lucifel’s Demonic energy, it gnawed at his mind, a creeping dread that set his whole body on edge.

‘Is that the boss?’

The presence was at least five times that of Igrite. No—its sheer magnitude was so overwhelming he couldn’t even gauge it with his current Sense stat.

Thump-thump—

Ha Gangwoo, hearing his own racing heart, steadied his expression.

‘I need to boost my stats.’

With his current strength, taking down the boss was out of the question. He needed something to amplify his power.

Ha Gangwoo tried every method he had.

Ding-

[You cannot use the Auction House.]

[You cannot open My Room.]

[You cannot use the Warp Ring.]

‘…’

But the situation was hopeless.

The Auction House, My Room, the Warp Ring—all locked down.

A suffocating pressure clenched his chest.

‘At least the Inventory works.’

One small mercy: his Inventory was accessible.

Ha Gangwoo opened his Inventory to check the items he had.

Ding-

Inventory (8/13)

[Warp Altar x3]

[Big Glaive]

[My Room Exclusive Key]

[Fortune Coin [Flame God] x1]

[Status Catalog x20]

[Bloodstained Iron Mail]

[Sharp Tribe Chain Leggings]

[Shadow-Infused Leather Boots]

[-]

[-]

[-]

[-]

[-]

Five usable items in total.

Ha Gangwoo examined the items he’d obtained from this trial.

[Bloodstained Iron Mail]

Grade: D

Durability: 64/64

Defense: 59

Strength: +37

[Sharp Tribe Chain Leggings]

Grade: B

Defense: 345

Strength: 186

Vitality: 171

Description: A sacred leggings passed down through the Sharp Tribe. They hold a special energy that only the Sharp Tribe can use.

Effect

– Allows use of ‘Plaintive Cry’. (Cooldown: 1 hour)

[Shadow-Infused Leather Boots]

Grade: D

Durability: 54/54

Defense: 59

Agility: +55

‘Not enough.’

Ha Gangwoo furrowed his brow, dragging a hand across his forehead, face twisting in frustration.

The Sharp Tribe Chain Leggings were decent, but the other two pieces were subpar.

‘Can’t be helped.’

Still, right now, Gangwoo was grateful even for these scraps.

He pulled the items from his Inventory and started equipping them.

From the iron mail that weighed down his torso to the tough leather boots.

Without the Costume, the loss in mobility hit him immediately.

‘Suffocating.’

Just lifting his arm, the chest plate cinched his joints, narrowing their range.

Even a single step made the chain leggings clatter noisily.

He wanted to tear it all off right now, but the items were non-negotiable.

The flat defense and stat bonuses alone pushed his total past 700.

‘That’s all the gear, so what’s left is this.’

Ding-

[Summoning Status Catalogs x20.]

Gangwoo immediately pulled out the Status Catalogs.

Ding-

[Status Catalog]

Grade: E

Description: Upon use, gain 2 unallocated Status points.

‘This is good.’

It was the first item he’d thought of when his party gave up their gear.

Each card was only 2 points, but with twenty stacked, the math changed.

[Status Catalogs have been used.]

[Unallocated: 0 → 40]

Forty points, no less.

Considering a normal Player gets 5 per level, that shot him ahead by eight levels on the spot.

Gangwoo sank the points in immediately.

Ding-

Strength: 128 → 148 (↑20)

Vitality: 110 → 120 (↑10)

Mana: 110 → 120 (↑10)

[Ha Gangwoo]

Level: 76

HP: 4960/4960

MP: 371/371

Strength: 148 (+471)

Agility: 120 (+41)

Vitality: 120 (+376)

Mana: 120 (+251)

Sense: 120

Luck: 120

‘Not bad.’

Losing the Costume had tanked every stat, but Strength and Vitality alone looked solid.

If he threw in Demonization, he’d hold his own against any max-level Player.

Thump— Thump—

With everything ready, Gangwoo stared into the dark. Every time he sharpened his Sense, instinct howled.

*Run. Don’t fight that darkness.*

‘Let’s go.’

But there was no hesitation in his movement.

Tromp—

And so, Gangwoo slowly stepped into the dark.

***

“I’m hungryyy…”

Mimic, her candy long gone, chewed on the stick and licked her lips.

“Hungry? Where’d the boss go?”

Jo Seunghyun asked after Gangwoo’s whereabouts.

Gangwoo’s entrance into the Job Change had been dramatic enough that most Players knew about it, but back then, Seunghyun hadn’t had the bandwidth to notice.

“Master went to get stronger!”

“Really? So he went to do his Job Change. Hang on a sec.”

Jo Seunghyun poked at the air with his index finger, manipulating something invisible.

A hot dog, steam still curling from its casing, popped into his hand.

“Here, eat this.”

Drool—

Mimic started salivating before Seunghyun even offered the food.

A rich, savory scent she’d never smelled before hit her nostrils.

One look and it was clearly delicious.

But Mimic wiped her mouth and shook her head.

‘Give and take!’

If Seunghyun gave her something, she had to give something back.

“How much is it?”

So Mimic asked.

She had tons of money now, after all!

“Huh? I don’t need money. You’re the young lady of the hyung-nim — I should treat you to at least this much.”

“No! Master said there’s no such thing as free stuff.”

“Alright then.”

Seunghyun chuckled with a snort. No surprise, really — she was the hyung-nim’s daughter, sharp as a tack.

He crouched down to meet Mimic’s eyes.

“This is a bit pricey. Do you have the money?”

“Yes! I have lots of money!!!”

Mimic was brimming with confidence—at least when it came to Gold.

All the allowance she’d ever received.

At most, it had been about ten thousand Gold.

But now she had two hundred thousand Gold!

Mimic felt like she could buy anything in the world.

“Two hundred thousand Gold.”

“Okay.”

Mik reached for her Gold at Jo Seunghyun’s words—

“What?!”

Her eyes went wide, disbelieving.

She knew the market prices from buying food herself.

From Silk Roach Pupae to Chicken Gangjeong.

The most expensive thing was under ten thousand Gold.

But two hundred thousand Gold?!

‘That’s enough to buy two hundred Silk Roach Pupae!’

No matter how tasty it looked, it was way too expensive.

Seeing Mimic flustered by the price, Jo Seunghyun burst into laughter and said,

“Hahaha, you’re adorable. I’m kidding—I bought it for a thousand Gold.”

“Ah! Of course, right?! Here you go!”

Mimic held out ten coins with her small hand, a sly grin spreading across her lips.

“Pleasure doing business.”

Jo Seunghyun took the 1,000 Gold after handing Mimic a premium steak hot bar.

‘Cute.’

As expected of a little kid — she fell for the lie easily.

That hot bar was actually a 200,000 Gold item. Naturally, its taste was incredible.

“Wow!!! It’s so good! I’ve never had anything this delicious!”

Mimic munched the hot bar, chewing in happy little bites, unable to contain her delight.

That warm moment was rolling along when—

“Get lost! Or shut up and stay put. Why are you tailing me like a lost puppy!!!”

Kang Seongbin, who had been walking ahead, stopped dead and roared.

Right.

Jo Seunghyun and Mimic had been trailing Kang Seongbin the whole time.

For Kang Seongbin, the Mimic had always been a thorn in his eye. Just having Jo Seunghyun tag along was already a stressor.

But having to endure their pointless chatter on top of that made his irritation spike.

‘Guess words really don’t work on them.’

In an instant, Kang Seongbin’s expression darkened dangerously. Slowly — he slipped his arm into thin air and pulled out a massive greatsword.

The moment seemed ready to erupt into violence.

“Mr. Kang! We’re here!!!”

“Wow~! Is this the training ground?!”

Ignoring Kang Seongbin entirely, Jo Seunghyun and the Mimic walked straight into the Job Selection Area.

Crack —

A thick vein bulged on Kang Seongbin’s forehead.

‘I’ll kill them!’

And so, with murder in his eyes, Kang Seongbin followed the two into the Job Selection Area.