“Wh-what the hell! A Hidden job?!!!”

The employee on the right rubbed his eyes as he stared at the Mimic’s job rank.

“Name is Mik? Hang on, it’s in the Player registry?”

The employee on the left clacked away at the keyboard before confirming the Mimic’s identity.

“Whoa…”

Jo Seunghyun was equally surprised by the Mimic’s rank.

He knew she was exceptional, but to think she’d actually gotten a real Hidden job.

“You’re really amazing.”

Jo Seunghyun stroked the Mimic’s head and broke into a wide grin.

Without the Mimic, he’d never have gotten an S-Rank job.

That was why Jo Seunghyun felt grateful to her.

‘Already registered?’

Jo Seunghyun recalled the Association employee’s words.

Come to think of it, if he weren’t registered with the Association, entering the Tower of Job Change itself wouldn’t make sense.

Identity and occupation registration were all done. There was no reason to stay here.

“It’s finished, right? Can I go?”

“Huh? Ah… Yes! You may go. You’ve worked hard!”

With the Association employee’s consent obtained like that.

“Mik! Let’s go.”

He called out to Mimic.

But Mimic suddenly stopped in her tracks, turned her head, and gazed at the Tower of Job Change.

Her ears perked up, twitching slightly.

Then,

“It’s Master!”

Mimic looked at Jo Seunghyun and grinned, baring her teeth.

That very moment.

Ding-!!!!!

[A Legend job holder has appeared in the Gaia World!!!]

Beneath the blue sky, before the colossal tower, a System window rose into view.

Its content announced the emergence of an L-Grade job.

Following Mimic’s gaze, Jo Seunghyun lifted his head and looked at the sky.

Whoosh- Bang! Whoosh- Bang!

Amid the System’s intense celebration, Jo Seunghyun was certain.

‘It’s hyung-nim.’

The fact that the Gaia World was now undergoing a massive shift, with that man as its pivot point.

***

“Ah, I’m beat. But that was insane, wasn’t it?”

“Right. To see it in person…”

The job registration office Ha Gangwoo had just left.

The employee, as if dazed, replayed the scene from moments ago.

A single System window rising high into the sky.

Announcing the appearance of a Legend job.

“Wha-what the hell! A Legend job?”

Having half-expected the job-change update, seeing it with his own eyes made it real. Not long after,

“I’m here to register.”

A man arrived at the office.

His clothes were rags, his body drenched in blood, but the moment she saw his eyes, the employee understood.

‘It’s him!’

That this man was the player who’d obtained the Legend job. And there was something familiar about his face.

“Ha Gangwoo!”

The L-Grade player she’d only heard of in rumors. It was Ha Gangwoo.

For an instant, forgetting her work, the employee stood frozen.

But Ha Gangwoo, without being told, finished the registration procedure in a flash and vanished.

The Stealth skill she’d only heard about in stories.

Even knowing of it through rumors, seeing a person disappear before her eyes threw her into confusion.

“Where’d he go?”

That was the moment she was craning her neck, searching for Ha Gangwoo’s figure.

“I’m Kim Sucheol, a reporter from BSB. By any chance, did you see the player who just came out?”

“Didn’t someone just come out? You didn’t happen to see the Legend-job player, did you?”

Dozens of reporters had swarmed into the office.

The employee’s mind blanked again at the sudden situation, but she pulled herself together.

This place where she worked was a facility strictly managed by the Association.

Sloppy work could earn her disciplinary action.

“I don’t know. Please leave.”

“Aw~ don’t be like that, just tell us. I’m friends with the President! Hey! You there~!”

“Get out!”

They’d been bickering with the reporters for nearly three hours.

The employee looked utterly drained. He flopped into a chair and let out a heavy sigh.

“Ah… I signed up for the Job Registry thinking it’d be easy. This is hell.”

“I know… but hey, I got to see an L-Grade player. I’m satisfied.”

“He was damn cool… I wanted to take a picture.”

In the silence that finally returned, he replayed the unbelievable moment in his mind.

Typing Ha Gangwoo’s grade into the computer—the field he’d left incomplete earlier—the employee suddenly realized something.

“Every single person in this batch survived except one.”

“Really? Who’s the one? Poor bastard. You think he’s dead?”

“Who knows? There was that guy who came out after five months.”

Only one person had failed to emerge from this cycle of the Tower of Job Change.

Curiosity welled up inside him.

In a batch where a Legend job had actually appeared, who was the sole straggler?

The employee searched the registered players on the computer and soon found him.

“Ah…”

As he looked at the dropout’s information, a look of dismay spread across his face.

Because the straggler was someone he recognized.

“Kang Seongbin…”

The son of the world’s 7th-ranked player, and an S-Rank himself.

The only one left behind was none other than Kang Seongbin.

***

*Sizzle—*

Chicken on the charcoal grill. The seasoning seared over the flames, sending a fantastic aroma curling toward her nose.

*Dribble—*

Mimic drooled at the smell and drifted toward the stall.

Everything she’d ever wanted to eat was packed into this marketplace.

“Unni! Give me this! Oppa! Give me that!”

And so Mimic roamed from shop to shop, scattering Gold like confetti.

Just as Mimic was tasting the sweetness of modern food.

“I’d like to go back to Korea with you, but I have some business. I’ve only been a burden.”

“Ah, no, it’s fine. See you next time, then.”

“Yes!”

Jo Seunghyun and Ha Gangwoo exchanged a quick farewell.

They were still in the heart of the Indian desert. The Tower of Job Change. The bustling commercial district.

”So this is what an S-Rank job gets you.”

Ha Gangwoo watched Seunghyun’s retreating figure with a satisfied expression.

Then he turned his gaze to Mimic.

“Give me this! Give me that too!”

She was dashing between food stalls, collecting dishes. She’d bought so much, he wondered if she could even finish it all.

”What did she pick?”

Ha Gangwoo looked at Mimic and smiled contentedly.

She looked barely six years old, naive and vulnerable—it had made him anxious. But she’d come through that brutal job-change quest flawlessly. He was proud, and also curious.

About exactly what job she had chosen.

Ha Gangwoo walked over to Mimic, who was sitting at a table wolfing down food.

She grinned, her lips curling up, and held something out to him.

“This is delicious!”

It was tandoori chicken—a traditional Indian dish.

“No. You eat it all.”

“Okay!”

Ha Gangwoo stroked Mimic’s head, then dropped onto the floor beside her with a heavy thud.

As Mimic chewed noisily, her jaws working through the food…

Ha Gangwoo pulled up her Status Window.

A translucent system panel flickered into view. He scanned her class, and the corner of his mouth curled with interest.

“What’s this, now?”

***

“Hoo… I’m full!”

Mimic sprawled flat on the floor, patting her swollen belly with one hand.

Then she sprang up and padded over to something in the corner of the room.

“Master! Who’s this?”

That *something* was Ru—a Ruin Construct.

Lacking any sense of self and unable to move on her own, she had been relocated to My Room.

“A companion.”

“Huh? A companion?”

Mimic tilted her head at Gangwoo’s words, then stared intently at Ru’s face.

Sensing something odd, she cocked her head again and again, then started talking to Ru.

“Hi! Hi? What’s your name?”

While Mimic turned her attention to the Ruin Construct…

Ha Gangwoo checked his own status.

[Ha Gangwoo]

Level: 98

HP: 2860/2860

MP: 239/239

Strength: 202 (↑6)

Agility: 140 (↑10)

Vitality: 140 (↑10)

Mana: 140 (↑10)

Sense: 140 (↑10)

Luck: 140 (↑10)

His stat allocation was already finished. Strength had broken past 200, and every other stat hovered near 140.

The numbers were more than satisfying, but Ha Gangwoo frowned anyway.

[Equipment Window]

Weapon: Barzel’s Appetite +10

Weapon:

Helmet:

Top:

Bottom:

Belt:

Shoes:

Necklace: Asrul’s Lust +10

Ring:

Ring: Lucifel’s Ring +10

Ring: Warp Ring

Bracelet:

Bracelet:

Because the last fight had cost him most of his gear.

From B-rank rings to MP-recovery bracelets—everything.

The loss stung, but…

[Gold Held: 277,346,820,500 Gold]

With that much gold on hand, buying a few B-rank items was nothing.

No—the real reason Ha Gangwoo’s brow was so tightly knit lay elsewhere.

[Costume]

Weapon:

Head:

Top:

Bottom:

Belt:

Shoes:

It was the loss of his costumes.

‘There has to be a way…’

If even a scrap of cloth had remained, he could have handed it off for repairs. But the Costume had collapsed into darkness, leaving not a trace behind.

That fact stung Ha Gangwoo more than he’d expected.

The Costume he’d lost had carried tremendous effects—a flat all-Stat boost, movement speed increase, the works.

So he pulled up the DLC Shop.

Ding-

[DLC Shop]

–

–

–

(Refresh)

The Refresh cooldown had come back around ages ago. All he had to do was find what he needed.

Ba-thump. Ba-thump.

The random moment had come again.

Heart racing with anticipation, Ha Gangwoo reached for the Refresh button.

Ding-

[DLC Shop inventory is being refreshed.]

[DLC Shop]

DLC-Costume Vending Machine

DLC-Wilderness Plains

DLC-Scenario.2: Forces of Chaos

In an instant, the shop—which had been empty—bloomed with three items.

Gulp.

Ha Gangwoo swallowed dryly as he checked the offerings, and a grin spread across his face.

“A Costume.”

Right when he’d been wanting one, a Costume-related item had turned up.

On top of that, the Scenario.2 update DLC. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

Thump-thump.

Ha Gangwoo, trembling with excitement, tried to check the item’s effects.

But in that moment—

“Master! This one’s acting weird!”

Mimic tapped Ru’s cheek, prodding her, and asked.

Ha Gangwoo might have ignored her—but whether because of the Link he shared with her, or simply because affection had grown between them over time,

he closed the DLC Shop window.

Wearing a satisfied expression, he looked at Mimic.

“Is she sleeping?”

She kept tilting her head this way and that, studying Ru’s face, curiosity plain on her own.

Ru, too, was an entity born from Ha Gangwoo. Mimic’s interest was only natural.

Ha Gangwoo patted Mimic’s head and spoke.

“Yeah, she’s asleep. Say hi when she wakes up later.”

Strictly speaking, with no self-awareness, she might never exchange greetings with anyone for her entire existence.

But Ha Gangwoo was certain.

‘There will be, no doubt.’

The next class skill was bound to involve the Ruin Constructs’ selfhood.

That was why he needed to raise them.

To gain and use that self-awareness, growth was essential.

‘So much to do.’

Ha Gangwoo pulled himself upright and sat on the edge of the plush bed.

“Ah-ha! So she is sleeping. She sleeps with her eyes open. Amazing.”

While Mimic drifted away from Ru, ever less interested, Ha Gangwoo sank into thought.

‘Should I level up first?’

The threshold for a new class skill came every ten levels.

He was level 98 now. The next one would appear at level 100.

Just two more, and he’d get that skill.

And at level 100,

[Demonization]

Grade: ???

Description: A core that generates Demonic energy forms within your body. You may use the power of the Demonfolk.

Effects

-All Status +100%.

-Can recover physical loss. (Consumes large amounts of HP.)

-Madness dominates the mind.

-Grants the Demon Eye effect.

-Grants the Demon Horns effect.

-Grants the Demon Wings effect.

-[Unlocked at LV.100.]

-[Unlocked at LV.150.]

Aren’t those overlapping with the Demonization unlocks?

Certainty flickered across Ha Gangwoo’s face on the instant.

‘Let’s head to a dungeon.’

Ordinarily, he’d have set straight out for the Scenario 2 zone.

But leveling had caught his interest now.

There were also a few things to settle before Scenario 2.

“Ugh!”

Ha Gangwoo flopped onto the bed and shut his eyes tight.

The faint scent of fabric softener and the warmth of the bedding brought exhaustion crashing in.

Come to think of it, he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d slept.

‘Just a short rest.’

Ha Gangwoo slowly opened his eyes and stared at the cozy ceiling.

He still had a mountain of work—checking the DLC shop, inspecting gear, nurturing Ru’s growth—but his eyelids felt unbearably heavy.

“Haaahm. I’m sleepy.”

Whether from their Link, Mimic was drowsy too, and watching her, Gangwoo felt a sense of calm.

And so, without realizing it, he let his drooping eyelids close his vision and sank into the sweetest sleep he’d had in a long time.

***

Inside the quiet hospital room.

Tap— Tap—

Ha Gangwoo looked at his smartphone, stroking his chin.

‘Nothing.’

[Dungeon Searcher]

-Grade: D~A

-Radius: Within ~10KM

Search Results

-Mapo-gu D-Rank Gate — Under Clear

-Seongbuk-gu C-Rank Gate — Under Clear

-Guro-gu C-Rank Gate — Under Clear

……..

…..

….

.

A check through the Association app showed no dungeons or gates nearby.

And the few that were found were all C-Rank or below—difficulty that didn’t appeal to him at all.

‘A B-Rank would be just about right.’

Wanting to fill the Association’s quota too, Ha Gangwoo was looking for a B-Rank gate.

That was about ten minutes into his search.

-Dobong-gu B-Rank Gate — Recruiting

[Dobong District Gate]

Grade: B

Contact: Park Junseong

Required Personnel: Tank 2, Dealer 2, Healer 1, Sub 1

Minimum Level: 90

Summary: Generated on September 22, 20XX at 21:22.

(Current applicants: 11 under review)

He’d found a gate. Perfect grade, and still recruiting.

[Apply?]

[Yes / No.]

Ha Gangwoo submitted his application immediately.

Ding-

[Application from Player Ha Gangwoo has been successfully received.]

-Review will take 1 hour. Please wait.

Looking at the message on his phone, Ha Gangwoo’s lips curled upward.

‘Interesting.’

The app he’d just used was the Association’s own—a dedicated portal running on the Player network under their management. It was a fairly well-organized system at that.

With nothing left to do but wait, Ha Gangwoo slid his phone back into his pocket and fixed his gaze straight ahead.

The woman lay there, still wearing that tranquil expression, as if merely asleep.

His sister Ha Jiyeon’s face reflected across his retinas.

‘This is where the real fight begins.’

Until now, he’d poured his efforts into growth rather than chasing leads on a Resurrection skill—for one reason: to protect himself.

But now that he’d undergone his job change, a single priority overrode all others: finding that Resurrection skill.

‘Where could it be hiding.’

Gangwoo’s brow furrowed as Chae Seohyun drifted into his thoughts.

He’d sent her a message, but there was still no reply.

Was she deliberately avoiding him?

Just as Gangwoo got lost in a tangle of speculation—

“Master! I’m bored…”

Mimic flickered a flame on her index finger, watching him with wide eyes.

‘Ah. I never checked.’

Gangwoo recalled the words he’d whispered to Mimic back in the Tower of Job Change.

—*Buy a Catalog, learn the skill, practice your Trait. Once you’ve mastered the Trait, use one of the Books of Job Change I gave you. Got it?*

It had been a fairly demanding set of instructions, yet Mimic had pulled it off without issue.

But the problem was—he’d never actually confirmed whether she’d properly mastered her Trait.

On top of that, there was one more thing that nagged at him.

‘What the hell is that job.’

He’d originally assumed Mimic’s class would be the Legendary Blacksmith.

But Gangwoo had given her the choice.

Mimic was a living being, after all—he’d granted her that freedom.

Yet the job Gangwoo had glimpsed on Mimic had nothing to do with any of the Books of Job Change.

Which made him all the more curious.

What effects did this job she’d acquired actually carry? And how on earth had she gotten it?

Gangwoo re-opened Mimic’s status window. The moment he laid eyes on the job title he’d missed earlier, a smile crept across his lips.

[Mimic]

Rank: C

Status: Bored. Let’s go out and eat something tasty!

Trait: Corrupted Flame

Job: Battle Master

[Battle Master]

Grade: H

Description: You have inherited the power of the Emperor of PVP, Ashrunte. Defeat every opponent in PVP and stand at the pinnacle of the Gaia world!