*Whooosh—*

Fierce flames rippled across Mimic’s entire body.

‘This is fun!’

Mimic gripped her dagger and pulled her lips into a *creeeak* grin.

“Haaah… haaah…”

Before Mimic stood a boy, gasping for ragged breath.

His body was covered in cuts from the dagger; his shirt and jeans were scorched black and threadbare from the flames.

That boy was Ha Gangwoo, logged into Ruin Construct: Ru.

After roughly thirty minutes of fierce struggle, the tide of victory had turned to Mimic.

Through the spar, Mimic had grown steadily.

Especially in Mana control and Ashrunte’s Secret Technique.

The longer the spar dragged on, the more Ha Gangwoo was pushed back.

Even using Lucifel’s Ring and Demonization this time, Ru’s physical body logged in as a Ruin Construct was no match for Mimic.

‘I’ve won!’

That was why Mimic was loving this spar so much.

She was still crusty-eyed, her hair a mess, still in her pajamas.

She looked shabby — but her heart felt like it was flying, soaring with happiness.

‘What should I buy with 2 million Gold?’

Especially thinking about the victory reward for this spar — 2 million Gold. Her mouth was already watering.

‘No, no slacking off!’

Mimic forced herself to shake off the thought and shifted her gaze back to the boy.

*—It’s not over ’til it’s over.*

*—Complacency only hastens death.*

The lessons she’d learned from Ha Gangwoo and Instructor Biske echoed in her mind.

So Mimic gripped her dagger again, lowering her small body. A sharp light kindled in her glittering pupils.

The moment Mimic’s eyes met the boy’s —

*Chill!*

A chill ran down Mimic’s spine. With her own Sense stat, her instincts were screaming at her.

Be careful. That boy is dangerous.

And Mimic dimly understood the reason for the dread.

‘Is it because of those?’

Black orbs surrounded the boy, drifting through the air with an ominous aura.

Each time he attacked—each time a blade carved into his flesh and bled black—the orbs multiplied.

They had stacked to at least seven hundred, choking the space around them.

But Mimic was confident.

‘Let’s end this!’

Those orbs were too slow, their movements too predictable. She had every faith she could dodge them all.

Mimic kicked off the ground with all her strength and lunged at Ha Gangwoo.

Thud—thud—thud—

With every strike of her small feet against the earth, her acceleration sharpened, her form blurring as if she’d vanished for an instant.

Thud—her body felt lighter than ever, and whoosh—the wind brushing her ears was a crisp, clean note.

Ssssshhh—

In a heartbeat, Mimic drove into Ha Gangwoo’s abdomen.

She swept the ground with her small leg and twisted her dagger in her grip.

Ha Gangwoo dropped his stance desperately, trying to match her rhythm.

But he was too slow.

Mimic’s Agility stat far outclassed Ruin Construct: Ru’s.

Add to that Ashrunte’s Secret Technique, which she wielded—Ha Gangwoo was helpless against it.

Whoosh—Mimic swung her small dagger with all her might. The moment she registered the swing—

Slesh—the Ruin Construct’s body was already cut.

Ha Gangwoo drew on every scrap of Sense and experience, hoisting his arm in a desperate block.

Slesh—slesh—slesh—

But the blade was unstoppable.

Dozens, then hundreds of gashes raked across the Ruin Construct’s flesh.

Plop—plop—thick black blood splattered everywhere.

What would have killed an ordinary man on the spot. But Ha Gangwoo held on.

His mind teetered on the edge of blackout from the agony and dizziness, yet he gritted his teeth and endured, waiting for that one moment.

And then—thud. Ha Gangwoo’s knee struck the ground, just as Mimic’s dagger came down—slesh—in a deep arc across his shoulder.

Grin—

Mimic bared her teeth in certainty.

‘I’ve won!’

This sparring match was hers.

So as Mimic’s dagger severed the boy’s shoulder muscle, ground against bone, sliced through tendon—in that very instant—

Ding—

[You have generated the 1,000th Orb of Ruin.]

[Special Effect: Rampage of Ruin has been activated.]

The System flashed across Ha Gangwoo’s retina. The moment he’d been waiting for had arrived.

Whoooosh—the black orbs flooding the area began to absorb into the Ruin Construct’s body in an instant.

Whoosh—

The darkness of Ruin blazed across Ha Gangwoo’s entire form.

It was as searing as a flame — and just as unnerving.

“A-yat!”

Mimic dropped the dagger as black fire climbed the blade, scrambling backward.

*Fwoosh—*

The dagger stuck in the Ruin Construct’s shoulder began to melt, liquid metal streaming down.

“No way~!”

Mimic made a miserable face, watching her dagger dissolve.

At that moment, the boy’s form seemed to blur.

*Thwack!*

Dizzying pain struck the back of Mik’s skull, and her vision slowly faded to black.

*Thump-*

Mimic collapsed unconscious that way. Ha Gangwoo, victorious, clenched his fist — the dark flames around it roaring bright.

‘Not bad.’

The 1-on-1 PVP between Mimic and the Ruin Construct ended with the Ruin Construct’s victory.

***

*Ding-*

[Demonization released.]

The demonic energy that had flowed through the Ruin Construct Ru gradually subsided.

The massive horns, wings, and tail that had sprouted turned to ash and scattered on the wind.

But the darkness blazing across its entire body remained.

‘Insane.’

Ha Gangwoo looked at the fierce dark flames in his hands and smirked.

[Rampage of Ruin]

Activation Condition: 1,000 Orbs of Ruin

Effect

-Absorbs all Orbs of Ruin.

-Gains an effect of (Orbs Absorbed x 0.5) to all Stats.

-Gains the Flame of Ruin effect.

*The Flame of Ruin burns everything.*

Ru’s trait, the Orb of Ruin, had a variety of effects.

The one she had just used was the fourth effect of the Orb of Ruin: Rampage of Ruin.

Stats increasing in proportion to Orbs absorbed. Just a moment ago, having absorbed a thousand Orbs, she had enjoyed the insane benefit of +500 to all stats.

As a result, she effortlessly subdued Mik, whom even the main body couldn’t beat.

It was a truly broken trait.

‘Good thing I grinded.’

Feeling the fading darkness of Ruin, Ha Gangwoo checked the status window of the Ruin Construct: Ru.

[Ru]

Grade: D

Type: Ruin Construct

Level: 90

HP: 480/2280

MP: 28/121

Strength: 250(+128)

Agility: 80(+41)

Vitality: 163(+65)

Mana: 40(+81)

Sense: 60

Luck: 60

Trait: Orb of Ruin

The Ruin Construct Ru’s level was a whopping 90.

She had done three more full runs of the Wilderness Plains.

The clearing time, initially 6 hours, had grown faster and faster as Ru leveled up, ending with a record of just 40 minutes on the final run.

A hunting speed faster than Ha Gangwoo’s own main body. All of it was thanks to the trait, Orb of Ruin.

‘A hunting trait really is something else.’

Until now, he’d thought the DLC Shop’s traits were enough.

Jumping Characters, mysterious classes, items — the growth factors had been more than sufficient.

But a hunting trait was good, too. Just what kind of power would an S-Rank Ruin Construct show?

Ha Gangwoo stretched his arms with a satisfied smile, rolling them in wide circles as he loosened up.

His whole body ached, every inch of it battered, but his mood soared — light as if he might take flight.

He wanted to use the Book of Job Change right then and there, to push his growth to the absolute limit.

‘About two hours left, maybe.’

But there was no time.

Today’s B-rank Gate with the Association was a commitment he couldn’t skip.

‘Better get ready.’

So Gangwoo set his growth aside for now and moved toward the B-rank Gate clearing.

***

Ding-

[You have logged out.]

Back in his original body, Ha Gangwoo checked his phone.

[11:31 AM]

[Messages]

-Association: Mr. Ha, your dependent is under twelve years old. Per the Player Act, they must enroll in the Academy within this week. For further inquiries…-

-Association Gate Management Division: Notice of today’s scheduled Gate assembly. Please arrive at Dobong Station Exit 5 by 5:20 PM. Unauthorized contract termination will incur appropriate consequences. Please be advised.-

-Yoo Ayoung: Oppa! Hello~! Are you free for lunch today? Let’s eat together. I have something I want to talk about too~! Leave me a text when you wake up! (^O^)-

-Hope Repository: Have a joyful day today…-

Time had somehow crept to 11 AM.

A fair number of messages had piled up.

Ha Gangwoo frowned as he read the first one.

From the Association — about Mimic’s Academy enrollment.

All minors under twelve must enroll in the Academy without exception. He hadn’t even known that law existed.

But he could guess why it was in place.

-Prevent Awakener crime rates through education.-

‘Annoying.’

It was a hassle.

Mimic was, at her core, a storage entity. He didn’t want her far from him.

Of course, she’d grown so much she’d surpassed him now. There was no real need to protect her.

‘I’ll have to pull some strings later.’

Mimic was already a mid-tier Player who’d completed her Job Change. If her abilities were recognized, getting through the Academy was a sure thing.

Ha Gangwoo sorted his thoughts roughly and read the second message.

That one was also from the Association — about today’s B-rank Gate.

‘Shouldn’t have signed up for this.’

He’d applied for this Gate out of curiosity about Ruin Constructs.

So many questions — what would happen as levels rose, how EXP worked… it was all a mystery.

But the Wilderness Plains from the DLC-Store had already answered all those questions.

And now, hitting level 90 — insane growth on top of that —

A B-rank Gate just didn’t interest him anymore.

‘Can’t be helped.’

Still, he couldn’t just ditch it. So Gangwoo took it in stride.

After all, he still had to meet this month’s Association quota.

Finishing that before entering Scenario 2 wasn’t a bad idea.

With his thoughts sorted on the second message, Ha Gangwoo

His gaze drifted naturally to the third message.

‘Ayoung?’

The last message was from Yoo Ayoung, whom he’d met yesterday.

She’d said she’d reach out first, and it looked like she had.

‘What should I do…’

Ha Gangwoo trailed a hand across his jaw, lost in thought.

A simple lunch — nothing problematic, and it wouldn’t interfere with today’s work.

If a Gate muster came in, it wouldn’t be until 5 PM anyway.

But Ha Gangwoo had no room to spare.

Growth, a lead on the Resurrection skill, and even Mik’s academy application on top of that. The pile of things to handle was only growing.

‘One meal can’t hurt.’

Still, Yoo Ayoung was a little special to Ha Gangwoo.

The person who’d been closest to his sister. The one who’d mourned her death more than anyone else.

And so Ha Gangwoo accepted her offer.

[Message sent.]

After sending the text to Yoo Ayoung, Ha Gangwoo rolled his shoulders and loosened up.

Despite clearly not having slept, his mind and body felt feather-light, as if they could float away.

‘Is it because of Login?’

He’d spent roughly ten hours inside the Ruin Construct’s body.

It seemed to have had a similar effect to sleeping that whole time.

‘Not bad.’

Just as Ha Gangwoo was savoring his peak condition —

Shuuu—

Mik, who’d been lying on Ha Gangwoo’s bed, opened her eyes.

With a sudden jolt, she shot upright, swiveling her head around.

She seemed puzzled about why she was lying here at all.

Her darting gaze then locked onto one spot.

She’d found Ru, the Ruin Construct, sitting in a corner of the My Room.

“……”

Ha Gangwoo watched Mik and scratched his cheek.

‘She’s going to want to fight again, isn’t she.’

For Mik, the Sparring she’d just had was as good as a win.

Ru’s body had reached its limit, mere seconds from dissipating.

But in that final moment — she’d been defeated so instantly she couldn’t even remember how she lost.

He naturally assumed she wouldn’t accept the outcome. But Mik’s reaction surprised him.

“You’re really strong. I lost!”

Mimic walked over to Ru, whose eyes were closed, and handed over the 2 million Gold they’d wagered on the match.

Ha Gangwoo watched this and broke into a faint smile.

To admit defeat so cleanly like that — she looked every bit a 6-year-old child, but her actions were better than most adults.

Ha Gangwoo approached her and ruffled her small head.

She tilted her delicate face up to look at him.

“Let’s go eat.”

Before Ha Gangwoo had even finished speaking, Mimic grinned, baring her teeth.

“Okay! Let’s go! What are we eating?”

“Well, we’ll find out when we get there.”

And so Ha Gangwoo set off with Mimic toward the restaurant Yoo Ayoung had invited them to.

***

A restaurant in the heart of Seoul’s bustling district.

The restaurant’s antique interior caught the light as an employee kept glancing sidelong at a woman.

“Whoa… fucking gorgeous. What’s her deal, coming here for lunch?”

“Hey, quit slacking and get the tables set.”

“Slacking? I swear I’ve already cleared three tables!”

“Fine, can’t take a joke? But seriously, she is pretty.”

The two employees were in the middle of their petty chatter.

“It’s here?! Whoa—it’s huge!”

A scruffy kid and a man in shabby clothes stepped into the restaurant.

Both employees’ gazes naturally drifted to the man. The one who’d been eyeing the woman grimaced and muttered to his coworker.

“Ah… fuck, you take this one. Today’s just…”

But his sharp-eyed coworker had already slipped away.

“…”

The employee let out a resigned sigh, then trudged toward the man and the child.

The reason the employee frowned the moment he laid eyes on the shabby-looking customer was simple.

It came down to the nature of the restaurant he worked at.

One of the top three finest restaurants in all of Korea.

A single meal started at a cool million won, and on days when high-grade Monster ingredients were used or a high-level chef was on shift, the price could climb into the hundreds of millions per meal.

Which meant the employee had to treat every customer well.

Because if someone walked out without paying, it wouldn’t end with a simple legal process.

Forcing a smile onto his lips, the employee approached the customer who looked like a beggar.

Judging by the state of his clothes, it seemed like half-hearted service would do just fine—but exceptions always existed.

“Welcome. How may I help you?”

“I’m meeting someone. They said they had a reservation.”

“One moment. Your name, sir…?”

Just as the employee began to ask the man for his name—

“Ah, there they are.”

The shabbily dressed man strode straight into the dining hall.

Irritation flickered across the employee’s face.

‘Hey, I asked for your damn name!!!’

The employee gritted his teeth and reached for the man’s shoulder as he barged in. Just as he was about to grab hold—

A bone-deep chill slammed into him.

A violent, maddening cold surged through his body.

‘Huh?! Why am I suddenly…’

The employee’s arm began to tremble uncontrollably.

He couldn’t even understand why it was happening.

All he could do was barely steady his shaking hands and body.

And so he stared blankly at the man, who was quickly fading into the distance.

Then the woman who had caught his eye earlier waved with a bright smile.

“Oppa! Over here!”

The reservation the ragged-looking man had mentioned was hers.

‘Ah…’

The employee watched the two of them, gripping his trembling hand tightly.

A lunchtime date at such an expensive restaurant with a beauty like that.

‘I’m jealous…’

Just who was he, to enjoy such luxury?

The employee let out a envious sigh as he glanced at the man.

Meanwhile, the man in the shabby clothes.

Ha Gangwoo craned his neck, taking in the restaurant’s interior.

From the elegant lighting to the furniture.

‘This is…’

It was Speritia, the top-tier restaurant famous enough that even Gangwoo knew of it.

The chef here was a Ranker—a master of his craft. That alone fueled rumors that the prices were insane.

To suggest eating at a place this expensive.

Yoo Ayoung. She must be a more impressive Player than he’d thought.

With that, Ha Gangwoo wore a bright smile as he walked toward Yoo Ayoung, who was waving her hand energetically.

The moment Ha Gangwoo reached the table, a flicker of bewilderment crossed Yoo Ayoung’s face.

“Huh?! But who’s this little one?”

She was eyeing the Mimic with curiosity.

‘Hmm…’

The Mimic was a warehouse and a companion, but officially, to the Association, she was a ward.

So Ha Gangwoo spoke slowly, parting his lips.

“My daughter.”

“Wh-what?!!!!!”

And so, the first meeting between the Mimic and Yoo Ayoung began.