Whoosh—

Thud—

That horrifying presence blazed fiercely, then crumpled pitifully to the ground.

“Whoa~! We won!”

The little kid threw both hands up, beaming from ear to ear.

“Fuck! Move!”

“What?! Fuck? You piece of shit won’t get out of the way!!!”

But inside the building, oblivious to what just happened, chaos still reigned.

Everyone shoved and grabbed each other by the collar, fighting to be first out.

That was the moment everything teetered on the brink of disaster.

“Look over there!”

A woman’s shout broke through—

“W-What the hell….”

The citizens saw it.

The monster that had been advancing to kill them, now burning to a crisp.

Whoosh—

Before the raging flames, a small figure stood, grinning wide.

Whatever it was, the kid’s face was pure joy.

“That little kid stopped it?”

“Gulp—”

The citizens could only stare in bewilderment.

The monster had been charging right at them. And yet, somehow, it was dead—and before it stood that small child.

Was it because the source of terror was gone?

The men who’d been grabbing each other by the throats let go, sheepishly turning toward the window.

The blazing monster, cooked beyond recognition, charred black and crumbled to ash.

Truly overwhelming firepower.

“Is it… really dead?”

“We’re alive. Hic… hic…”

The citizens exhaled in relief at the sight of the dead monsters, then one by one they pulled out their phones and began recording.

They had to capture the hero who’d saved them from crisis.

It didn’t matter that the figure was a child or a woman.

And so the people started framing the little girl in their phone screens.

That was the moment.

The child hopped in joy, her small form bouncing—

*Crackle—*

From within the Gate, burning violently,

*Squelch—squelch—*

*Grrrrr—*

Dozens of monsters began emerging, walking out into the open.

“Th-this can’t be…”

“This is… too much.”

The citizens stared at the phones, frozen in place.

Having already tasted fear once, rational thought had abandoned them.

The truth they couldn’t outrun: if the girl smiling wide on their screens fell, no amount of running would save them.

So they didn’t flee.

“Please… win.”

All they could do was pray the girl before them was stronger than the monsters.

As if answering that prayer—

*Whoosh—*

A fierce blaze erupted from the girl’s body, and with a *Kreeee—* it began scorching the dozens of monsters.

***

The dungeon was steeped in pitch-black darkness.

*Crunch!* “Keeeek—!”

The death rattle of the last monster echoed through the lab interior.

Yoo Ayoung wiped the blood from the tip of her nose as she spoke.

“Phew… I’ll take a short break. Let’s deal with the monster carcasses first.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

No sooner had Yoo Ayoung finished speaking than her party members bustled about, gathering the dead monsters’ bodies.

‘Good thing I came.’

Ha Gangwoo grabbed a dead monster’s leg at Yoo Ayoung’s command and started moving.

Roughly three hours of Gate clearing.

It was short, if you could call it that, but he’d learned a lot.

From why they gathered the monster bodies, to the party members’ rest schedule, to how to lead in a dungeon—a mountain of tiny, crucial tips.

“Phew… good work, everyone.”

Was it because their eyes had adjusted to the dark? The monster corpse cleanup finished in a flash, and the party members trudged along behind Yoo Ayoung.

Ha Gangwoo stood at the very back, reaching his hand toward a monster carcass.

The reason they gathered the corpses now, he’d learned, was for the collection team that would enter later.

The party members grumbled about the hassle, but for Ha Gangwoo, collecting the bodies was an unexpected stroke of luck.

[Absorbing 210 Chaos Essence.]

[Absorbing 210 Chaos Essence.]

[Absorbing 210 Chaos Essence.]

[Absorbing 210 Chaos Essence.]

[Core of Ruin]

Grade: ???

Storage Amount: 5,630

Description: The Core of Ruin manifests within your body. It is the origin of the Destroyer and the sole power capable of overcoming Chaos.

Effect

– Absorbs the Chaos of monsters and converts it into Ruin power, storing it.

Because it would make storing Ruin in the Core of Ruin effortless.

The Storage amount he’d gathered from Dungeons so far stood at a full 5,630.

Compared to the roughly 3,000 stored when he’d first summoned Ruin Construct: Ru, he’d amassed a hefty sum.

‘What rank will it be?’

That was what he wondered.

Ruin Construct: Ru’s grade had been D, hadn’t it? And even then, Ru’s abilities had exceeded expectations.

What kind of Trait would an S-Rank Ruin Construct manifest?

He wanted to summon it right then and there, but Ha Gangwoo shook his head.

‘After we finish this.’

If he was going to summon anyway, he wanted to max out the Storage amount first.

“What’re you doing? Come over and rest a bit. You must be tired.”

As Ha Gangwoo stood there blankly, Ji Somin—the Healer for this Party—tilted her head and spoke up.

“Yeah.”

Ha Gangwoo followed Ji Somin to where the rest of the party members had gathered.

A campfire crackled.

At some point they’d already lit one, spreading out all kinds of food on the floor.

“Let’s call it here for today. No Monsters within 1 KM. Still, seems like the Boss Room isn’t far off, so stay alert.”

“Got it.”

The party’s mood was warm and easy.

The reason was simple—Clearing the Dungeon had been too easy.

The Monsters had been plenty and strong. But Clearing was a breeze.

The low-intelligence Monsters couldn’t resist the Tank’s taunt.

Then came the follow-up DPS.

Between Kaguchi Kentaro’s excellent strikes and Ha Gangwoo’s own attacks, the Monsters were mowed down like wheat.

So while the party members looked tired, they were brimming with ease.

“Gangwoo! Try this~! I made it myself at a workshop—it’s to die for!”

The moment Ha Gangwoo thumped down onto the ground by the campfire, Ji Somin pulled a box of macarons from her Inventory and scooted right up beside him.

For someone who’d been through over three hours of hunting, a sweet floral scent still wafted softly from her.

A Healer was a protected entity—no need to move, no chance to get blood on her.

“Ah, thank you.”

Ha Gangwoo popped the macaron Ji Somin handed him into his mouth and scanned the other party members.

“Wow… what’s your job? A real Legend job?”

“You’re with the Association, right? When your contract ends, where are you headed? I’m quitting after this year and joining Air Guild!”

“Lucky bastard.”

Their eyes sparkled as they sent strong signals of goodwill his way.

Kaguchi seemed a bit sour-faced, but still kept docile around Gangwoo’s words—probably because the Coercion from the PVP still had him on edge.

“So?!”

Ji Somin suddenly hooked her arm through Gangwoo’s and tilted her head, asking about the macaron’s taste.

“It’s good.”

The macaron was better than he’d expected.

A fragrant lemon zest and sweet cream filled his mouth.

Ding-

[Handmade Lemon Macaron has been used.]

[HP has recovered by 1,500.]

[Fatigue has recovered by 50.]

[All Status values increase by 30 for 30 minutes.]

And there were secondary effects too.

For a moment, his tired mind cleared, and his HP and Status even rose.

‘So it has effects like these.’

Ha Gangwoo glanced at the remaining macarons and nodded with interest.

Did she sense that? Ji Somin tugged his arm tighter, leaning in as she spoke softly.

“So, do you have a girlfriend?”

“A girlfriend?”

Ha Gangwoo answered her, but his mind was elsewhere.

‘Crafting skills aren’t bad either.’

Who knew crafted food could even erase fatigue?

If he could replicate the macaron’s effects, could he skip sleep and stay fresh?

His head spun with thoughts.

‘Let’s just do the Job Change.’

And anticipation rose.

He still had Ruin Construct: Ru’s class selection ahead.

All he wanted was to finish the Dungeon and raise his Ruin Construct.

Just as Gangwoo was mapping out his plans—

“Just curious~ You never know when a Player might die, so it’s good to make plenty of memories, right!”

Ji Somin kept chatting him up.

To Gangwoo, it was all noise.

“Is that so.”

His half-hearted reply didn’t stop the others.

“Man, that’s ridiculous.”

Kaguchi Kentaro voiced his grievance.

“Lucky guy. No one’s hitting on me.”

Sirien the Tank looked at Gangwoo with envy.

Meanwhile, Yoo Ayoung’s brow twitched as she shot up from her seat.

“Hmph!”

Clearing her throat, she stepped in front of Ji Somin and Ha Gangwoo.

“Do you forget where we are? This is inside a B-Rank Dungeon. Save the romance for after the Clearing.”

It was break time, anyway.

Hadn’t Yoo Ayoung herself proven it was safe? A little small talk cost nothing.

But Ji Somin’s flirting irked her.

Knowing this, Ji Somin smirked, pulling Gangwoo’s arm tighter.

“Huh? Romance? I’m just building team camaraderie~”

Ji Somin rattled off an excuse that sounded all too familiar.

A tiny vein pulsed on Yoo Ayoung’s smooth forehead.

Maybe she realized reason was useless.

Grabbing—

Yoo Ayoung seized Gangwoo’s wrist and yanked him up.

Instinctively, Gangwoo clutched the macaron box that might fall, letting her lead him.

“What’s this all of a sudden, Captain?”

“Private talk.”

Ji Somin’s lips curved into a sly grin as she called after Yoo Ayoung, who was already pulling away. Yoo Ayoung answered, her voice too smooth by half.

Yoo Ayoung seized Ha Gangwoo by the wrist and dragged him deeper into the dungeon’s shadows.

Once they’d put a good distance between themselves and the party, she let go of his hand and furrowed her delicate brows.

“What is this? Did you follow me because you wanted to eat these?”

*A girl-fight over territory?* *Why drag me off out of nowhere?*

Ha Gangwoo couldn’t make sense of Yoo Ayoung’s behavior at all.

Clueless as ever, Gangwoo thrust the macaron box toward her. Ayoung bit down on her red lips, then spoke in a low, measured voice.

“Oppa! Why are you just standing there?”

“Standing where?”

“……”

“Somin was *clearly* flirting with you just now! When that happens, you need to shut it down hard!”

“Flirting?”

From Gangwoo’s perspective, none of this made the least bit of sense. The pointless back-and-forth dragged on until—

“Huh?!”

Yoo Ayoung broke off mid-sentence and swallowed hard.

She’d sensed something wrong in the dungeon.

Gangwoo felt it too. His eyes scanned the darkness that filled the cavern’s depths.

He wasn’t the only one who noticed the wrongness.

“Boss! Get over here, quick!”

The party members were frantically calling for Yoo Ayoung when—

[The dungeon’s master has escaped.]

[The Quest is cleared.]

[Rewards are being distributed.]

A system window materialized before Ha Gangwoo.

That was it. The dungeon’s boss had simply vanished.

***

“God, we’re alive!”

“Whoa… who’s that little girl? She’s insane.”

Citizens smiled, capturing the miracle on their phones.

Kieeek—!

*Whoosh—*

The monster that had been so terrifying writhed in agony as flames consumed it at the girl’s touch.

Nearly fifty monsters lay dead in her wake.

“She’s stronger than most pros.”

“Right? She looks like she hasn’t even started elementary school. Damn… Is she Korean? You think she’ll end up stronger than Cha Yuseong?”

The citizens watched Mimic tear through monsters, their gazes filled with awe.

As if to answer their reverence—

*Squelch—*

Without fail, another monster emerged from the Gate.

Hadn’t these same citizens been paralyzed with fear at the sight of monsters just moments ago?

Now, no one was afraid.

The reason? One small girl.

“There’s another one!”

People stared at the footage playing on their screens.

The girl moved with blinding speed, then—*snatched*! Her small hand clamped onto the monster’s head.

In the same instant, a massive conflagration erupted, engulfing the monster’s entire body.

The little girl had utterly dominated the beast, and her wide grin set the citizens at ease.

That was enough for them to start breathing easy.

As long as that kid was on their side, getting out of this hell alive would be nothing.

And so everything had gone perfectly.

An hour had passed, maybe?

A flash of light—

The Gate’s blaze, once so fierce, began to dim, its radiance thinning into nothing.

A sign that the Field’s generation time was ending.

“Looks like it’s almost over.”

“Hah… hah… We made it.”

The civilians sagged to the ground, relief flooding them as hope—real hope—that they would survive sank in. Thud. They sat, legs giving out.

As if answering that relief—

—a single Monster burst from the Gate. Splat.

A soft fizz—

The Gate, still blazing with intense light, vanished.

“It’s finally over!”

Cheers erupted from the crowd at the sight.

Then they grabbed their phones, desperate to capture every last moment of the little girl’s heroic deeds.

And so the citizens watched the footage on their screens, eyes glittering.

Spot—

The kid dashed for the Monster as she always did. Whoosh—her hand, wreathed in searing flame, thrust toward its core.

They all thought that would be the end.

But the faces of the civilians staring at their phones had gone deathly pale.

A low hum—

The Monster took a single step back. Then—shwoop—the kid’s attack, which had never once missed, cut through empty air.

“Huh?”

The people couldn’t tear their eyes away.

They branded every single movement that followed onto their retinas.

A low hum—

The Monster’s casual hand-swipe slammed into the kid’s whole body. Crash-crack-crack—her small frame tore through the ground, skidding and bouncing across the pavement.

A deep, rolling rumble—

The building where the citizens stood shook violently from the impact.

Overwhelming force. Pure and absolute.

Then, through the haze of dust before the fountain, the Monster’s form emerged.

A guttural growl—

Twice the size of any Monster that had appeared so far.

Two massive horns. And an eerie violet glow.

[Samyun’s First Subordinate. Roendiron has appeared!]

The field’s last monster—the Boss—had arrived.

***

Inside Samyun’s Secret Laboratory, the earlier warmth had curdled.

The party members stared ahead, tilting their heads in confusion.

[The Dungeon’s master has escaped.]

[Quest cleared.]

[Rewards are being distributed.]

“Wait, what? The master just—escaped?”

“Never seen this before.”

The party members looked at their leader, Yoo Ayoung, bewilderment plain on their faces.

Even Ayoung, the most experienced among them, had never encountered this.

A Boss fleeing through a Gate?

In three years of clearing Gates, she had never heard of such a thing.

With no information to go on, only one decision made sense.

“For now… let’s head to the Boss room,” she said.

At Ayoung’s command, the party members grabbed the packs they had dropped and tightened their grips on their weapons.

About thirty minutes of walking later, the party was certain.

“It’s really empty, isn’t it?”

The Dungeon, which should have been teeming with Monsters, was spotless—nothing but silence haunting the halls.

That was how they reached the boss room — the place where a boss should have been.

An enormous chamber.

It was filled with monster carcasses, as if something had been experimented on.

Bodies with their abdomens artificially opened. A creature screaming inside a glass capsule.

The place evoked a real laboratory.

In particular, a massive test tube stood at the lab’s center.

A giant monster, reminiscent of a Golem, stood rigidly with its eyes tightly shut.

But the party members couldn’t care less about the lab’s atmosphere.

“What? It’s actually cleared.”

“Jackpot. A B-rank means 400 quota points, right? This month’s done for free.”

They just stared at the Gate that had materialized before them.

Since Gates only appeared upon dungeon clear, seeing this Gate confirmed they’d cleared it.

But Ha Gangwoo and Yoo Ayoung hung back from the party members, moving slowly.

Then, they raised their heads to gaze at one living being.

The massive test tube at the lab’s center.

‘This is it…’

Ha Gangwoo narrowed his eyes, sensing the energy. The source of the Demonic energy he’d felt since arriving — it was this monster.

Yoo Ayoung must have felt that alien presence too. She slowly extended a small hand and tapped the test tube. Tap.

That was the moment.

Ding-

[Hidden Quest Found!!!]

[Samyun’s Secret Laboratory][Hidden]

Grade: S

Description: The lab’s owner is away. But don’t be disappointed. You’ve discovered the experiment’s culmination. Awaken the crystallization of the experiment and claim the Samyun’s Wrath planted inside its body!

Reward: Samyun’s Wrath

[Accept?]

[Yes/No]

A Hidden Quest had suddenly appeared before the party members.