“Whoa~! I’m so full!”

Mimic waddled ahead, patting her bloated belly with one hand.

“Whoa… that’s Ha Gangwoo…”

“Gonna go talk to him?”

“Uh, no. Kinda scary…”

Walking behind Mimic, Gangwoo felt the weight of people’s gazes.

‘Not bad.’

He’d already stood out before.

But now, with the Legend-class job title tacked on, the attention had only sharpened.

Still, no one actually approached him.

The reason was simple.

Ding-

[Transforming Mana into Ruination Darkness.]

Fshhhhh—

A dense haze of Ruination Darkness billowed around Gangwoo’s body.

Thin and weak enough not to harm anyone, of course — but the effect was superb.

People who would’ve normally walked up to chat were keeping their distance instead.

And that let Gangwoo reach the Association desk without a hitch.

“Hello. How may I help… you…?”

The receptionist flinched, a subtle tremor running through her body as she met Gangwoo’s eyes.

Gangwoo could feel the emotion radiating off her — a bonus effect from his heightened Sense stat.

*Fear.*

She was afraid of him.

Gangwoo cut straight to the point with the stammering employee.

“I’m here to get this kid’s Player Certificate.”

He hoisted Mimic up and angled her face toward the receptionist.

Mimic bared her teeth in a wide grin.

Food sauce was smeared all over her face and clothes — not the best first impression.

But the moment the employee saw Mimic, her tension eased, and she let out a soft chuckle.

“Ah! Could you tell me the name and date of birth?”

A short exchange followed, and the tedious identification process was over.

“A refugee, huh. She seems so bright… poor thing. Registration with the Association is complete.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Ah! You’re her guardian, right? For refugees, it’s best to register nationality separately. Also, there’s mandatory education for Awakeners under twelve.”

The employee handed Gangwoo a pamphlet and the ID card.

[Player Academy][Children’s Division]

‘……’

Gangwoo gave the ID card to Mimic and stared at the pamphlet for a long moment.

*Out of all the things… I’m sending her to school.*

“Take care.”

Gangwoo nodded to the employee and turned to leave.

“Whoa~! It’s mine!”

Mimic held the ID card in both hands, overjoyed.

“Haah…”

Gangwoo let out a deep sigh and activated his Warp Ring.

Ding-

[You have entered My Room.]

The noise and the scenery shifted in an instant.

Soft orange lighting, wooden tiles, a bed. They had entered the My Room.

‘Much more comfortable.’

Ha Gangwoo hung his worn clothes on a hanger and glanced at the Warp Altar.

The My Room was a space he could enter anytime with the key, but even that had been simplified through the Warp Altar.

Yet there was one small inconvenience.

‘Mimic.’

Ding-

[Summoning Mimic.]

Mimic couldn’t be summoned through the Warp Altar.

Even inside the My Room, Mimic bared a toothy grin and clutched the Player Certificate, delighted.

“Master! This is me, right?”

Mimic’s Player Certificate bore the freshly taken photo—her face still smeared with sauce, naturally.

‘Should’ve made her wash up first…’

Ha Gangwoo wondered if he’d been too harsh, then shook his head.

‘She got the thing made, that’s what counts.’

At first, it was just storage—but the scale kept growing.

“Haa…”

Ha Gangwoo flopped onto the bed with a heavy sigh. Mimic hopped right up beside him.

“Whoa~! A bed!”

“No.”

He grabbed Mimic by the scruff and lifted her off.

Mimic tilted her head with a pure, ‘Why?’ expression.

Come to think of it, he realized he’d never taught her about the concept of washing up after coming in from outside.

“Hmm…”

Ha Gangwoo studied her for a moment, then made a decision.

‘Might as well take a look.’

If she needed to wash anyway, there was something he wanted to check first—out of curiosity.

Just what skills Mimic had gained, and how far she could push her Trait.

“Let’s go spar.”

Ha Gangwoo proposed a sparring match to Mimic.

“Yes!”

Mimic beamed as if she’d been waiting for it all along.

And so, Ha Gangwoo and Mimic made their way to the sparring room at one end of the My Room.

***

Whoosh—

A fierce flame roared across the sandy floor.

“Whoa~!!!! I won!”

Mimic thrust her small arm into the air, beaming wide.

“Huff… huff…”

Ha Gangwoo struggled to his feet with his Big Glaive, panting raggedly.

‘No way…’

He replayed the sparring match in his mind.

-Use everything I’ve taught you. Beat me, and I’ll give you a million Gold.

A PVP with a million Gold on the line. He’d had no intention of actually paying up.

But throughout the match, Ha Gangwoo couldn’t believe his eyes.

Whoosh—Mimic’s Corrupted Flame rivaled Igrite’s. Thwung—Clang! Her dagger arts surpassed his greatsword techniques.

A knack for unorthodox penetrations. A sharpness that preyed on gaps.

Her swordsmanship, which had surely been only around C-grade, had skyrocketed.

[Ashrunte’s Secret Technique]

Grade: H

Type: Passive

Effect: Ashrunte’s Secret Technique settles into the body. Movement, judgment. Every minor detail is etched naturally into the flesh.

All of it appeared under the effect of the job skill Ashrunte’s Secret Technique.

But mere swordsmanship alone wouldn’t have pushed him this far back.

[Ruler of the Battlefield]

Grade: H

Type: Active

MP Cost: 10 per second

Range: 100×100

Effect: Unfurls the battlefield. The caster gains the effect of Ruler of the Battlefield.

*Ruler of the Battlefield

– All stats increased by 50%.

– All speed increased by 50%.

– Cognitive ability increased by 50%.

Ruler of the Battlefield. The moment Mimic used that skill, a desert formed inside the room that had been empty.

The ensuing fight was so overwhelming for Mimic that Ha Gangwoo couldn’t even lift a hand.

“Is this… the difference between jobs…”

Ha Gangwoo let out a ragged breath and stowed the Big Glaive into his Inventory.

Then he slumped to the floor, sitting hard, and steadied his breathing.

Even without using Demonization, being pushed this far back—honestly, it was shocking.

Until now, Ha Gangwoo had thought of Mimic as nothing more than an inferior version of himself.

And why wouldn’t he? Mimic’s stats were 75% of his own, she couldn’t grow, and she had no Traits or skills. But not anymore.

Now she had an A-Grade Trait and a Hidden job skill that could cancel out ordinary skills.

In contrast, Ha Gangwoo’s Trait and job skills were far from combat-oriented.

That difference had created the current situation.

“Master! Give me Gold!”

Mimic, oblivious to his despair, sidled up next to him and held out both hands.

Ha Gangwoo looked at her, let out a deep sigh, and opened his palm.

‘I’ll have to tell her that from now on, we each pay for what we eat.’

Ding-

[Summoning 1,000,000 Gold from Inventory.]

“Whoa~! Gold!”

Mimic cheered at the Gold pouring onto the floor, while Ha Gangwoo’s face twisted into a grimace from the shock of losing to her.

***

“Well then, I’ll be going!”

Mimic bowed her head politely in greeting. Each time, the sweet scent of shampoo filled the room.

Ha Gangwoo, having just washed up too, felt refreshed in body. But a bitterness surged in one corner of his heart.

‘I’m definitely lacking.’

Ha Gangwoo’s Trait was the Shop. He knew combat would eventually hit a ceiling. That’s why he’d poured everything into his job change.

The result was gaining an L-Grade job.

But the outcome was being pushed back by Mimic, who had gained a combat job.

Because he couldn’t utilize the job of Lord of Ruin.

Clang!

Mimic, seeming satisfied with the day, walked into her room without a backward glance.

And so came Ha Gangwoo’s personal time.

For tomorrow’s Gate clearing, he should have been resting, but Ha Gangwoo was still reeling from the shock just now.

He wanted to raise Ru, standing right there, as soon as possible.

“Hoo… calm down.”

Ha Gangwoo forced his breathing to steady, crossed his legs on the bed, and sank into thought.

‘First, let’s check the shop.’

Losing to Mimic had been a shock, but he hadn’t even used Demonization.

And hadn’t he fought without touching his class skills either? Losing was the natural outcome.

Ha Gangwoo soothed himself with that, then opened the DLC Shop.

Ding-

An item he hadn’t checked that morning flashed across his retina.

[DLC Shop]

DLC Costume Vending Machine – 500,000,000 Gold

DLC Wilderness Plains – 1,000,000 Gold

DLC Scenario.2 Forces of Chaos – 100,000,000 Gold

Just looking at the shop items brought comfort to his heavy heart.

Ha Gangwoo immediately began inspecting each product.

[DLC Costume Vending Machine]

Grade: ???

Description: Costumes have always been in short supply. Now, adorn yourself with a variety of outfits. Stylish and flashy costumes await you.

Effects

– Use the item to acquire a random costume.

(Caution! The vending machine is large. Open it in a safe place.)

Quantity: 1

Purchase Price: 500,000,000 Gold

The first item was exactly what Ha Gangwoo needed.

An item to restore the costumes he’d lost.

‘Buy it.’

He had enough Gold.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ha Gangwoo bought the item, and with a whirrr— the familiar square game pack was sucked snugly into his hand.

‘Perfect timing.’

Judging by the description, the vending machine was pretty big.

But Ha Gangwoo had My Room, so without a second thought, he used the DLC pack.

[DLC Costume Vending Machine has been used.]

A massive vending machine slammed—thud!—down in front of Ha Gangwoo.

Its size was that of a typical vending machine you’d see on a street corner.

[Costume Vending Machine]

Grade: ???

Description: A vending machine containing various costumes.

Effects

– Disassemble an item placed in the machine to create a random costume of the same grade.

From its effect and appearance, he had a good idea of how to use it.

‘The problem is the item.’

Ha Gangwoo stroked his chin as he looked at his Inventory.

Inventory (3/13)

[Warp Altar x2]

[Big Glaive]

[My Room Exclusive Key]

[-]

[-]

[-]

His original items had been destroyed in the fight against Ruin, leaving him with only one.

‘Let’s disassemble it.’

The Big Glaive. An item he’d gotten from Scenario.1, but its utility was less than he’d thought.

Its massive size and weight in particular didn’t suit Gangwoo at all.

Without hesitation, Ha Gangwoo grabbed the greatsword and stood in front of the vending machine.

A handle was visible in front of the machine.

He pulled the handle. Creak— the front door of the vending machine swung open.

The inside of the machine was empty, like a hollow tin can.

Ha Gangwoo placed the Big Glaive inside the machine and shut the door.

Ding-

[An item has been placed into the Costume Vending Machine.]

[Do you really want to disassemble it?]

[Yes / No]

(Caution! Disassembled items cannot be restored.)

Ha Gangwoo clicked confirm at once. A low hum—*whirrr*—drilled into his ears from the vending machine, the sound of something being ground down inside.

Ding—

[Costume created.]

*Fshhhhh—*

Gangwoo stepped over to the venting machine, smoke still curling from its seams, and checked the Costume sitting inside.

[Jade-White Skin]

Grade: C

Durability: 50/50

Vitality: +61

Mana: +65

Description: The jade-white skin every woman supposedly covets. Feel the touch of poreless, flawless flesh.

“What the hell is this…?”

Gangwoo picked up the leathery hide—it repulsed him just to touch it—and grimaced.

*A Costume… Face Costumes were already creepy enough. And now they’re selling full-body skin?*

He scowled, let out a long sigh, and then his eyes met it.

‘No way…’

The instant their gazes locked, a single thought flashed through Gangwoo’s mind.

Without hesitation, he activated his skill.

Ding—

[Connected to Ruin Construct: Ru.]

The system chime hit his ears, and his vision blurred—*pop*—shifting in an instant.

A clear light kindled in the Ruin Construct’s pupils, which had been staring blankly at empty air a moment before.

Gangwoo had used his job skill, Login.

Piloting the Ruin Construct’s body, he walked toward his own original body.

Just as the Ruin Construct had been staring into nothing, his real body now gazed at empty space with dead eyes.

It was still unsettling, but Gangwoo’s mind wasn’t focused on that.

‘Will it work?’

[Jade-White Skin]

Grade: C

Durability: 50/50

Vitality: +61

Mana: +65

Description: The jade-white skin every woman supposedly covets. Feel the touch of poreless, flawless flesh.

He was just curious whether a Ruin Construct could equip a Costume or not.

Gangwoo started pulling on the eerie hide. First the arms, then the head, then the legs. Finally, he sealed the flap over the chest—*Ding*—and a system window lit up on his retina.

[Jade-White Skin equipped.]

A notification confirming that a Ruin Construct could wear Costumes too.

Gangwoo, now inhabiting the Construct’s body, ran his eyes over it.

*Jade-White Skin.* It felt just like real human flesh.

Except, you know. Minus a few parts a person ought to have.

Gangwoo caught himself smiling with satisfaction at the Construct’s human-like appearance.

‘Good.’

One of the Ruin Construct’s flaws had been its looks.

That alien darkness. It drew the eye—and could let someone guess his class.

But with this item, he could move around like an ordinary person.

Though if you wanted to find the things that still stood out…

‘Guess I need to buy a wig.’

No hair.

Gangwoo touched his own bald pate, then let his gaze drift downward.

‘Awkward.’

Ruin Constructs were always naked originally, but now that they had skin, a sense of embarrassment crept in.

But it didn’t matter. With My Room’s functions, clothes were nothing—he could buy as many as he wanted.

‘My Room.’

“… … .”

Ha Gangwoo immediately used My Room’s function, but there was no response.

My Room had authority vested in the main body, so he couldn’t use it while inhabiting a Ruin Construct’s form.

[You have logged out.]

Ha Gangwoo returned to his original body and flopped down onto the bed.

Ru, whom he’d been controlling just moments ago, stared blankly into empty space.

“Not bad.”

It really wasn’t bad. No, it was actually good.

A Summoned beast with a face identical to a human’s. If only there weren’t the inconvenience of having to control it directly, he thought it was the best skill.

Ha Gangwoo, wearing a satisfied expression, immediately purchased a white T-shirt and a pair of shorts.

In an instant, a small white outfit set fit for a child fluttered down to the floor.

“I’ll put it on them later.”

He’d also confirmed whether the Costume could be equipped.

Ha Gangwoo immediately checked the next DLC product.

[DLC-Wilderness Plains]

Grade: E

Description: DLC-Wilderness Plains has been released. This beginner-exclusive DLC lets you experience faster growth.

(Recommended Level: 20~70)

Effects

-Rift Generator (Wilderness Plains)

Quantity: 10

Purchase Price: 1,000,000 Gold

The moment Ha Gangwoo checked the second product, a smile spread across his lips.

‘A Gate Generator… .’

The reason Ha Gangwoo had been putting off Scenario 2 and trying to fill the Association’s quota.

It was all for leveling up.

But a DLC that generated Dungeons? This was an unexpected stroke of Luck.

Hearing his heart pound loudly, Ha Gangwoo immediately purchased the DLC product.

Ding-

[You have purchased DLC-Wilderness Plains x10.]

The moment the purchase went through, ten DLC-packs tumbled out onto the floor.

Ha Gangwoo picked up one DLC-pack and curled the corners of his mouth.

‘Let’s use it.’

There were already several problems with raising a Ruin Construct in a Gate.

The reduced EXP gain from partying up, the Ruin Construct’s body being exposed to monster threats, the EXP gain limited by distance—things like that.

But with this DLC, all of that was solved.

In that instant, Ha Gangwoo’s eyes gleamed sharply.

The moment had finally come to prove the true worth of the Lord of Ruin.

‘Then let’s start leveling.’

Ding-

[You have entered the Wilderness Plains.]