Ding-

[Kaguchi Kentaro vs Ha Gangwoo]

The system window announcing the PVP rose against the blue sky.

Dozens of eyes around the Gate swiveled toward it.

“They’re doing a PVP here?”

“Hey! Film that! Even if you botch the interviews, catching this alone’ll make up for it.”

“Yes, sir!”

The reporters especially couldn’t hide their excitement.

“Holy shit—scoop! Ha Gangwoo’s first Gate run, conflict with a teammate! And his opponent’s Kaguchi Kentaro?! Every single angle is a goddamn goldmine.”

The whole situation was perfect for drawing Aggro.

Wasn’t Ha Gangwoo already the center of every story right now?

And on top of that, a PVP sparked by team friction.

His opponent—no less than Kaguchi Kentaro!

Could there be a better news hook than this?

Thump- Thump-

The reporters grinned ear to ear at this stroke of Luck, eyes locked on the scene.

And then.

Ding-

[1]

[PVP starting~!]

The system window heralding the start of the PVP blazed to life.

Whoong-

Under a blue sky, a crisp wind brushed through the hair of two men.

A nerve-racking standoff that could erupt into a bloodbath at any moment.

Gulp-

Soldiers guarding the Gate, Association staff, and even reporters.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the two men.

The tension, like a storm about to break, pressed down heavy on the air around them.

Ten seconds passed, perhaps?

Even though the PVP had started, neither man had moved a single step, just staring each other down.

As the tedious silence stretched on,

“Who do you think will win?”

A cameraman asked his senior.

“Shut it! Your voice is getting on the footage!”

“Yes, sir…”

The senior snapped, then turned back to watch the two men ahead.

Even as time passed, there was still no movement.

‘Who do I think will win?’

The senior reporter narrowed his eyes, focusing on one of them.

An antique red armor, a longsword, jet-black hair, and a face that rivaled a celebrity’s.

‘Of course, Kentaro’s going to win.’

Ha Gangwoo might be impressive, but he’s just a month-old rookie, isn’t he?

But Kaguchi Kentaro was different.

A monster born from Japan, a prodigy eyeing the world’s number-one rank, the second Cha Yuseong—he had a mountain of epithets.

If it weren’t for that incident a year ago, he’d have been a Ranker by now.

That’s why the reporter was certain. No, everyone watching this scene would be certain.

Right now, this PVP would end with Kaguchi Kentaro’s victory.

As if answering that certainty, a thick darkness began to seep around the two men.

“Make sure you get this!”

“Yes!”

All eyes locked onto the skill that signaled the start of the PVP, and the reporters’ eyes sparkled.

In that instant,

Boom!!! A massive explosion rocked the ground as it began to quake.

Then—Fsssshhh—a deep darkness flowed out, riding across the earth and spreading around them.

“Ugh!”

Not only the reporters, but even the soldiers,

as the thick darkness brushed past their bodies, a chilling terror clawed at their minds.

But before they could even process the fear, their retinas caught sight of it.

Ding-

[The PVP has concluded.]

That System window announcing the end of the PVP.

‘……….’

Dozens of people stood with their mouths hanging open, rubbing their eyes.

“What the hell?”

“Is it over?”

They were bewildered, unable to grasp what had just happened.

“No… no way…”

“Did… did you get it?”

“Yes, but… it ended in an instant…”

The reporters snapped out of it, and as they stared ahead, they realized:

[Winner: Player Ha Gangwoo!!!!]

That unexpected Luck was a bigger jackpot than they’d ever imagined.

“Kentaro got his ass kicked in one second!”

“Fuck! Get me a laptop right now!!!”

And so, the PVP between Kaguchi Kentaro and Ha Gangwoo ended more anticlimactically than anyone thought.

***

“Huah… I’m stuffed.”

Under the clear sky, Mimic patted her round, bulging belly with a satisfied expression.

‘Amazing…’

A woman was watching her. Shaking her head as if put off by Mimic’s appearance.

Long, wavy blonde hair. A beauty anyone would glance back at. It was Emily Nancy.

Right. The moment the exam ended, Emily Nancy had snatched Mimic away.

Mimic had been the center of countless people’s attention, so monopolizing her was tough—but she was Rank 9, a world-famous figure.

Using a bit of influence, she’d secured a private meeting with Mimic.

“Gangwoo—I mean, where’s your dad?”

So she cut straight to the point.

But the answer that came back was brazen beyond belief.

-There’s no free lunch in the world!

Meaning: if you want answers, bring a reward worth it.

So Emily Nancy had been playing servant to Mimic this whole time.

Starting with restaurants, then on to clothing stores.

The little girl, whether she knew that she was Rank 9 or not, had indulged to her heart’s content.

The total she’d spent? 25 million won.

To a Ranker like Emily, 25 million won was as meaningless as a pebble on the ground—but time wasn’t.

To Emily, her time was worth more than hundreds of millions.

And she’d already poured over three hours into Mimic.

Plus, in thirty minutes, she had an appointment she absolutely couldn’t postpone.

“Will you tell me now? Where’s your dad?”

Emily asked again.

Thankfully, the little girl seemed to think she’d been compensated enough. She stroked her bulging belly and broke into a wide grin.

“I dunno.”

But the answer that came back was ridiculous.

Snap—

A thick vein bulged on Emily Nancy’s smooth forehead.

‘Breathe. Breathe.’

Emily Nancy was a patient, ideal modern woman.

Forcing down her anger, she slowly parted her lips.

“Unni bought you clothes and yummy food, didn’t she? And I saved you from those nasty men bothering you. You should do something for me too. You said there’s no free lunch, right?”

Emily spoke in a gentle, coaxing tone with a bright smile, but her words were laced with thorns.

Mimic, who had no idea about that, wobbled as she pushed herself up—her bulging belly making it hard to stand.

“Yes! No free lunch in the world! You wanna meet Master, right? I’ll let you meet him!”

Emily’s lips curled at the little girl’s words.

For a moment, she’d thought this brat was impossible to reason with, but she’d grasped the core point.

“Good. Where is he, your Master?”

The title ‘Master’ should have rankled, but Emily brushed it aside and asked.

“Over there!”

Mimic pointed at the empty air.

“But it’s too far, so I’m not exactly sure!”

Emily Nancy’s gaze followed the direction the Mimic had pointed, then she made a decision.

‘Is he doing something else?’

Ha Gangwoo hadn’t been at the entrance exam site at all. That meant after sending the kid to take the test, he’d gone off to handle other business.

If she kept tailing the little girl, she’d run into Ha Gangwoo eventually.

But with an appointment already on her calendar, Emily Nancy didn’t have that option.

‘She seems sharp enough. She’ll keep the promise.’

So Emily changed her plan.

She pulled a single business card from her pocket and held it out to the Mimic.

“I said I’d set up a meeting with your master, right? Unni has something urgent right now. Can’t wait around. When you see Gangwoo, make sure you tell him to contact me. Say I need to talk.”

“Yes!”

The little girl snatched the card with sauce-smeared fingers.

‘……’

Emily scratched her cheek at the sight, then pushed herself to her feet.

She’d been watching the Mimic for three hours. She’d figured the kid had a good head on her shoulders. Plus, she’d earned some favor from the little one.

With that, Emily said her goodbyes and headed off to her appointment.

“Go safely!”

The Mimic bowed her head with a quick bob and bid farewell to the retreating Emily Nancy.

Then she swallowed the already-stained business card in one gulp.

The Mimic wiped the sauce off her hand onto her clothes with a quick swipe and looked up at the sky.

A vivid, clear blue sky, with fluffy clouds drifting lazily by.

‘What now.’

Her master had said:

—Wait quietly until I come back. Do whatever you want.

In short, she’d been given free time.

The Mimic was happy. She had so many things she wanted to do.

But right now, she didn’t want to do anything.

Thanks to that pretty Unni, she’d eaten delicious food for free. And she’d stopped by that fascinating department store, buying and wearing all kinds of clothes.

So now, the Mimic had nothing she wanted to do.

Then she glanced at her now-plump belly and a sly grin spread across her face.

“Let’s train!”

Whenever there was a chance, Ha Gangwoo had made her train. For the Mimic, training was a joy.

And so, the Mimic craned her head around, and began to search for something.

In her heart, she wanted to find a sparring partner, but she craved something even more intense than sparring.

The Mimic’s tiny head swiveled, then her ears perked up! —they twitched.

She’d found it. A faint, subtle little Rift she could feel nearby.

The Mimic bared her teeth in a wide grin and started to move.

But in that moment—

“Hey!!!”

A boy jumped out in front of the Mimic.

Cold sweat was trickling down his face—a clear sign of intense tension—but he ground his teeth and pressed on.

“Let’s—let’s have another round!!!!”

The boy was none other than Yoo Junsik, the one who’d taken the academy exam alongside the Mimic.

When Mimic spotted Yoo Junsik, she tilted her head.

‘Sparring?’

Out of nowhere, he wanted to spar.

Any other time, she’d have been excited—but Mik had no interest in Yoo Junsik.

She could feel it through her Sense stat.

That the boy in front of her couldn’t last even one of her hits.

So Mik strode right up to him.

“W-Wah!”

Yoo Junsik could barely contain his shock at her approach, and in that moment, he screwed his eyes shut in terror.

Thump—

Mimic grabbed him by the wrist.

“Wh-What?!”

Yoo Junsik tilted his head, looking at her. Mimic bared her teeth in a wide grin.

“Forget sparring—let’s go do something way more fun!”

And with that cryptic remark, she took hold of his forearm and started marching off somewhere, dragging him along.

“W-Wait!!!”

Yoo Junsik struggled to shake off her small hand. But his feet just scraped across the ground as the little girl’s strength pulled him effortlessly along.

Terror flooded his face.

‘F-Fun? What does she want to do with me!’

Was it the dread he’d felt back in the waiting room?

A scene flashed through Yoo Junsik’s mind.

An empty underground parking garage.

The tiny kid in front of him, engulfing his body in a massive blaze, charring it black.

A truly skin-crawling, horrific vision.

‘I’m going to die!’

Certain he was about to die, Yoo Junsik’s face went pale as a sheet.

‘Fuck! I should never have come with her!’

He’d only wanted to prove himself again out of sheer stubborn pride.

That he was superior and stronger than this kid. But that thought had been nothing but garbage.

Yoo Junsik thrashed in terror, but he was no match for Mimic’s Strength stat.

Like a tied-up sack of potatoes, he was dragged along the ground, hauled off somewhere.

But the place where the kid stopped was unexpected.

Clutching his sore wrist, Yoo Junsik looked around.

Whoosh—

A fountain spurting jets of water.

“I wonder~ what love is really like~”

A man busking on the street.

“Try a sample before you go~”

A woman smiling as she handed out drinks.

They were in the middle of a bustling Seoul downtown street.

“What the hell’s this! Let me go!”

Relieved by the surrounding atmosphere, Yoo Junsik finally shook off Mimic’s grip.

‘What was I even thinking.’

The kid had said she wanted to do something more fun than sparring.

Hearing that and imagining his own death? He couldn’t be more pathetic.

‘Fuck, I’m such an idiot.’

Cursing himself, Yoo Junsik started to walk away. Mimic tilted her head and asked.

“Why are you leaving? Don’t you wanna do something fun?”

‘…’

Yoo Junsik stared at the little girl, who was tilting her head in confusion. By appearance alone, she was just an ordinary six-year-old kid.

Something fun, she says. Like she wants to play dolls or something.

“No thanks, I’m out.”

Yoo Junsik left Mimic by the fountain and strode off, his footsteps sharp and purposeful.

And then—

“It’s coming out!”

The little girl’s voice rang crisp and clear.

*CRRRRRACK!*

The space in front of the fountain seemed to split, hairline fractures spiderwebbing through the air.

Ding-

[A Field has been generated!!!!]

The worst kind of Gate—a Rift. A Field was spawning.

“…….”

And just like that, Yoo Junsik faced the first Gate of his life.

***

“Aish, you worthless sack. Get up!”

That raspy, foul-mouthed voice echoed in his skull.

“With a rotten mindset like that, what the hell are you gonna learn!!!”

It had always grated on his nerves, that nasty voice.

‘…….’

But today, for some reason, it ached in his chest—he missed it.

“Get up! Kentaro!!!”

Right as the old man’s roar filled his head—

*Pop.*

Kentaro’s eyes snapped open, and he stared straight ahead.

Sunlight streamed down through puffy white clouds in a blue sky, bathing him in its glow.

‘Wait, what happened….’

He clutched his throbbing abdomen and slowly pushed himself upright.

“He’s awake!”

“Are you alright?”

Familiar faces crowded around, asking after him with worried looks.

Ignoring their questions, Kentaro slowly turned his gaze. And then he saw it.

A massive crater in the earth. It looked like a meteor had struck—the ground was brutally, utterly destroyed.

‘…….’

He was sure he’d been standing right there on that ground.

‘I lost, then….’

Kentaro understood.

He had suffered a crushing defeat against Ha Gangwoo in their PVP.

‘And I even had to dream about that damn old man.’

Slowly, Kentaro got to his feet. Then one man walked toward him.

“Are you alright?”

Ha Gangwoo. The one who had trampled him so mercilessly.

“…….”

Kentaro bit his lip hard and turned his head away.

‘I can’t remember….’

He strained to recall.

How he’d lost, why he’d fallen. But nothing came.

‘The gap’s so wide I don’t even know how I lost.’

For Kentaro, this PVP was sheer shock.

He’d mastered the old man’s techniques, and his confidence had soared to the heavens.

It was power that even most Rankers acknowledged with nods of respect.

Yet he’d been ground into the dirt by an opponent with a lower level, beaten so badly he couldn’t even remember how.

‘Pathetic bastard.’

Kaguchi Kentaro furrowed his brow, cursing his own arrogance.

Yoo Ayoung studied Kaguchi Kentaro’s condition, then turned to the Healer.

“Somin, how is he?”

“Physically, he’s fully healed.”

Then the only thing left was Kentaro’s state of mind.

Yoo Ayoung asked him directly.

“Then we’re clearing it now. If you want to drop out, say it now, Mr. Kaguchi.”

‘Damn it.’

Kentaro ground his teeth at the question.

Not only had he lost to Ha Gangwoo—a man he already despised—but if he joined the clear, he’d be shoved out of the main party and stuck supporting.

And on top of that—

‘Absolute Obedience…’

—the penalty from losing the PVP had kicked in.

One word from that bastard, and the System’s compulsion would force him to slit his own throat, unable to resist.

Could anything be more humiliating?

“Drop out? Why would I? Let’s head out now.”

But he couldn’t avoid it.

Hadn’t the old man himself said it, right up until he vanished?

‘Rather than run, I’d choose death.’

As Kaguchi Kentaro picked his fallen weapon off the floor with a look of grim resolve, Yoo Ayoung curled the corner of her mouth in satisfaction. Then she clapped her hands once—sharp—and drew the party’s attention.

“We’re moving out for the clear!!!”

That thunderous voice marked the start.

Ding-

[You have entered Samyun’s Laboratory.]

The six Players’ forms shimmered and faded from view.