Everything had unfolded in the blink of an eye.

Ji Somin and Kaguchi Kentaro, the survivors of the Gate, were immediately taken to the hospital.

Yoo Ayoung, who had been sobbing and clinging to Ha Gangwoo, succumbed to her accumulated fatigue and fell asleep right there.

“Hey! Wait a minute, hey! The actual culprit’s just standing there, so why the hell are you guys throwing a fit?!!!!”

“But you promised!”

The surrounding players seemed to be bickering among themselves, then a woman approached carrying two items.

It was the rifle Ayoung had used in the Dungeon and a belt that looked like a high-grade item.

“These are that lady’s items. Please give them to her when she wakes up.”

Ha Gangwoo couldn’t understand the woman’s words, but he nodded anyway.

Her request was simple — just to pass these two items along to Yoo Ayoung.

So Gangwoo set the items down beside the deeply sleeping Ayoung and continued writing his Association report.

Beyond that, there was a barrage of questions from reporters and curious inquiries from Association staff, but —

“I’m tired. I’ll be going now.”

Ha Gangwoo answered curtly and left without another word.

And so came his personal time.

Ding-

[Moving to My Room.]

“Huuu…”

Ha Gangwoo entered My Room through the Warp Ring.

The moment he stepped inside, warm orange light and the scent of flowers brushed against his nose.

Shallow breath — shallow breath —

Then he heard someone breathing.

It was the sound of a girl sleeping obliviously on his bed.

Gangwoo himself had been through a tiring ordeal, but no trace of fatigue showed on his face.

Thump — thump —

He was simply curious.

The Job skill gained from reaching Level 100, the next effect of Demonization, and even Samyun’s Wrath obtained from this Clear —

‘Where to start checking.’

A bright expression of happiness crossed Gangwoo’s face as he immediately opened his palm.

Ding-

[You have summoned Samyun’s Wrath from the Inventory.]

Shrrk-

A longsword slid *click* into Ha Gangwoo’s grip.

A longsword tinged with violet light, bearing an elegant pattern etched into the blade.

The first thing to check was the Hidden quest’s reward.

What kind of effect would it have?

Expression full of curiosity, Gangwoo immediately opened the item’s Status Window.

Ding-

[Samyun’s Wrath]

Grade: ???

Durability: ∞/∞

Attack Power: 1135

Strength: +315

Vitality: +350

Description: A sword imbued with Samyun’s wrath. A powerful rage dwells within, numbing the user’s reason.

Effect

– Samyun’s Wrath grants the wearer the Rampage (死) effect.

* Rampage (死): Infuses the body with Samyun’s Wrath, enhancing abilities.

– All stats increase by 1% every second.

(Caution! Wrath erodes one’s reason.)

Reading through the effects, Ha Gangwoo stroked his chin.

‘Not bad.’

The attack power was 1,135. The stats it came with rivaled an S-Rank Artifact without flinching.

Above all, the effect—Rampage (Death)—delivered beyond expectations.

A 1% increase to all stats every single second.

‘No limit at all?’

From the description window, there wasn’t a single restriction.

If so, with enough time, he could raise his stats infinitely.

But there was one catch:

Psst—

Violet smoke hissed from Samyun’s Wrath in Ha Gangwoo’s grip, then seeped into his hand and spread through his body.

Ding-

[Samyun’s Wrath is consuming your body.]

That ominous presence of Demonic energy.

But Gangwoo had plenty of resistance to the headaches Demonic energy brought.

He was genuinely pleased with the new weapon.

‘Good timing.’

Because he’d already been feeling that Barzel’s Appetite alone wasn’t enough.

Ding-

[Barzel’s Appetite: Burst +10]

Grade:???

Durability:∞/∞

Satiety:99/100

Attack Power:632 (215↑)

Strength:+140 (12↑)

Agility:+62 (21↑)

Vitality:+71 (6↑)

Mana:+85 (4↑)

Description: A glove containing Barzel’s Appetite. Beware—its ravenous hunger may devour the wielder as well.

Effects

-Barzel’s Appetite gains the Devour effect.

-Barzel’s Appetite gains the Ruin effect.

Additional Effects (3/10)

-On hit, 30% (5↑) chance to explode.

-Gains the Extreme Pain effect.

-Enables use of Paralysis Fog.

Barzel’s Appetite had been steadily Devouring all this time.

From the Wilderness Plains to hunting through this B-Rank Gate, he’d fought plenty of battles. But it still fell short.

The limitation of a glove-type weapon. And its base attack power lagged behind S-Rank weapons.

Even compared to Samyun’s Wrath right now, Barzel’s Appetite’s base attack power was nearly 400 points lower.

Now, exactly the weapon he’d needed had landed in his hands.

‘I’ll have to get it Enhanced later.’

Ding-

[You have placed Samyun’s Wrath into the Inventory.]

Satisfied with his new weapon, Ha Gangwoo checked the next reward—the job skills.

Ding-

[Job Skills]

– Core of Ruin

– Ruin Construct Summon

– Login

– Controller [NEW]

The newly added skill was Controller.

The moment he read the name, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. He could already guess what it did.

[Controller]

Grade: L

Type: Passive

Description: Grants simple commands to Ruin Constructs.

Effects

– Controls Ruin Constructs.

Just as he’d expected. The only phrase that caught his attention—

‘Simple commands?’

That ominous line was all.

Still, it was definitely the skill he’d wanted.

Ever since the Job Change to Lord of Ruin, the biggest drawback had been the limited authority over his summoned entities.

Ruin Constructs had no sense of self to speak of, and their level was just 1.

The Login skill supposedly compensated for it, but still.

I kept feeling they were lackluster compared to other jobs.

The PVP match against Mimic right after her job change had driven that difference home painfully.

But true to its L-Grade pedigree, the job had its own built-in absurdity.

Because the Ruin Constructs, mere D-Grade though they were, carried a Trait effect-and in pure combat, they actually outperformed their host, Ha Gangwoo.

And the strength of Ru, the Ruin Construct, had proven itself unmistakably during the Hidden Quest boss clear.

It had shown the raw power to shatter that impossibly tough boss in a single blow.

What if a Ruin Construct could gain a sense of self, like Mimic had?

Ha Gangwoo would possess enough combat power that he’d never need a party.

And the Controller he’d just acquired held that very potential.

‘Let’s do it.’

Ha Gangwoo made up his mind to use the skill.

He glanced at Ru, who stood beside Mimic staring blankly into space, and sent a message.

‘Come to me.’

Ding-

[You have issued a command to Ruin Construct: Ru.]

No sooner had the command landed than a soft rustle stirred the air-Ruin Construct: Ru, who had been staring vacantly at nothing, began to move on its own.

The problem was the crash and thud-clumsy as a newborn foal.

At the simple order to walk forward in this cramped room, the Ruin Construct slammed into furniture and fell flat twice.

‘…’

Had I been hoping for too much? Even this basic command exposed glaring gaps.

Could it actually hunt properly? Doubt crept in.

‘Guess I’ll find out once I try.’

Ha Gangwoo rose from his seat and spread his palm.

Ding-

[You have taken out DLC: Wilderness Plains from your Inventory.]

After all, the only function a Ruin Construct needed was hunting.

“Let’s go.”

Ha Gangwoo activated the DLC. A low hum swelled, and a blaze of light began to coalesce in the quiet interior of My Room.

***

“Is that the place?”

“Yeah.”

The heart of downtown Seoul.

People craned their necks, faces brimming with curiosity.

The field had spawned right in the city center yesterday, and they were dying to see it.

“Please stay back-it’s dangerous.”

But with Association staff holding the perimeter, all they could do was watch from a distance.

“Must be right over there!”

Still, a distant view was enough. People pulled out their phones and started snapping pictures in front of the fountain.

“Whoa… That thing’s huge. Looks scary as hell.”

Their eyes sparkled as they photographed the monster’s corpse.

For ordinary citizens under the protection of Players, monsters were nothing more than objects of curiosity.

As the crowd filmed the dead Roendiron, one man caught their eye, and they couldn’t hide their surprise.

“Huh?! Isn’t that Kang Hocheol?”

“It really is! Whoa… Is that guy even human? He’s massive.”

He was Rank 7 in the world rankings, the hero who had vanquished the demon of the Cataclysm-Kang Hocheol.

That was when the citizens’ eyes sparkled, fixed on Kang Hocheol.

Kang Hocheol lowered his stance, facing Roendiron, who was vomiting screams in front of the fountain.

The stench of rotting filth and acrid gunpowder smoke brushed past his nostrils.

A lingering heat still wafted around the fountain from the residual blaze.

Kang Hocheol narrowed his eyes, scanning his surroundings.

The ground around Roendiron was scorched black in a perfect circle—no ordinary firepower.

At least on par with Emily Nancy’s pillars of flame.

“That kid really caught him, huh…”

Kang Hocheol opened his phone and played a video. No matter how many times he watched it, he could barely believe his eyes.

That small frame, incinerating this monster in an instant.

“No wonder the Association President sent him.”

Kang Hocheol pocketed his phone, then placed his index finger on the chest of Roendiron, who was shrieking in agony.

Ssshh-

A purple Demonic energy writhed and seeped from Kang Hocheol’s fingertip.

In an instant, his expression darkened, fearsome and cold.

“How is it?”

An Association staffer asked, lacking all tact—

“Eeek!!!”

—but one look at Kang Hocheol’s eyes sent him scurrying away.

‘So the time has finally come…’

Kang Hocheol wasn’t angry at the staffer.

It was that purple energy he recognized.

He straightened up and made a call.

Then, with a look of certainty, he spoke.

“It’s as you predicted. That day is drawing near.”

***

Ding-

[Level Up!!!]

“Not bad.”

Ha Gangwoo stared straight ahead, a satisfied look on his face as he watched the notification.

Sshiiick-

Ru, the Ruin Construct, butchered monsters with Samyun’s Wrath, which Gangwoo had handed to him.

The order had been simple.

—Kill the monsters.

The moment those words fell, the Ruin Construct swept across the Wilderness Plains like a plague, hunting every last one.

The only pity was his clumsy movements— Thwip-shtick! Everything was awkward and unrefined.

His motions were too vague to even call swordsmanship.

What’s more, he couldn’t even use his Trait, the Orb of Ruin.

Still, having surpassed level 90, his overwhelming Stats made hunting these monsters effortless.

And so the long slaughter came to an end.

All that remained was the final boss of the Wilderness Plains: the Red Sand Scorpion.

“Let’s see how this goes.”

Ha Gangwoo casually plopped down onto the ground, watching Ru’s final hunt.

Ru, who looked like a young boy.

Crunch-

He stepped across the sand, walking toward the last boss.

The boss spotted him and let out a piercing shriek— Kiiieeek!—a roar filled with terror.

At that moment.

Ru gripped Samyun’s Wrath and began to sprint forward with long, bounding strides.

Ru’s Agility Stat had long exceeded 100. But there was nothing sharp about his movements at all.

She charges forward in a clumsy, gap-riddled sprint.

But the Boss is the apex predator of this Dungeon.

Of course its strikes are razor-sharp — purpose-built for killing.

Those pincers crunch down on Ru’s body, grinding her into the floor with a sickening Crack!!

A dusty haze hisses up from the scorpion’s impact.

Smoke curls off the ground the scorpion has crushed.

Even a seasoned desert predator would have died from that blow.

But the scorpion doesn’t let its guard down.

Fshooo—

It lashes out with its finest weapon — the stinger — straight at that tiny life form.

Thud!!!

The scorpion’s tail slams into the small creature’s abdomen.

Crunch!

Green fluid gushes from the wound, and the scorpion is certain of its victory.

But in that moment—

Shiiick—

The little creature starts thrashing, and the scorpion’s once-proud tail shears off, far too easily.

KIIIEEEK!!!!

And as the scorpion writhes in agony, it’s over.

Ding—

[You have defeated the Red Sand Scorpion of the Wilderness.]

[You gain 121,500 EXP!!]

[Perk bonus: 121,500 additional EXP earned.]

[Ruin Construct: Ru gains 121,500 EXP!!]

[Perk bonus: 121,500 additional EXP earned.]

The final boss fight — same as always, brute-forced by stats and gear.

‘Not bad, I guess…’

Ha Gangwoo scratches his cheek as he eyes the EXP gained.

As you can see, the Ruin Construct and Ha Gangwoo earned exactly the same EXP.

As long as the Ruin Construct has the chops, he can just sit back and rake it in.

He really liked that part. The problem was the Controller skill itself.

As the hunt clearly showed, it was just too monotonous and inefficient.

If that had been an equal-tier monster, it would be the Ruin Construct cooling on the ground right now.

“Still, I can’t complain.”

Ha Gangwoo tries to console himself as he pushes himself to his feet.

He scoops up every item floating before his eyes, then heads for My Room.

Ding—

[You have entered My Room.]

Shallow breaths — in and out.

Mimic is still asleep, even after all this time.

Back in My Room, Ha Gangwoo checks his Status Window.

[Ha Gangwoo]

Level: 102 (3↑)

HP: 1,400/1,400

MP: 140/140

Strength: 209

Agility: 140

Vitality: 140

Mana: 140

Sense: 140

Luck: 140

Unallocated: 21

He’s already pushing Level 102.

No doubt — the DLC’s Wilderness Plains is way better for leveling than any Gate.

Ding—

Strength: 209→210 (1↑)

Agility: 140→160 (20↑)

After distributing his stats, Ha Gangwoo watches the Ruin Construct staring blankly into space.

The moment he stops issuing orders, she freezes again, eyes fixed on the void.

Ru was fully equipped, from Barzel’s Appetite all the way to Asrul’s Lust.

Ha Gangwoo hesitated, wondering if he should switch her gear around, then turned his head away.

‘Let’s just rest for now.’

He was completely exhausted.

He’d already checked all his new skills, anyway.

He tossed his tattered shirt to the floor with a *thump* and headed for the bathroom to wash up.

But then he stopped dead in his tracks.

“No way… could it actually work?” he muttered.

A brilliant idea had struck him.

He immediately pulled up his Job Skill window.

[Job Skills]

-Core of Ruin

-Ruin Construct Summon

-Login

-Controller

Four job skills total, that was all he had.

*Thump—thump—*

No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t quite add up.

Lord of Ruin. It was powerful, sure, but why was it a Legend job? The question kept nagging at him.

But if the idea that just popped into his head actually worked, there was no doubt about it — this was a truly broken class.

‘Let’s try it.’

Ha Gangwoo stood right where he was and opened a single skill window.

*Ding-*

[Core of Ruin]

Grade: ???

Storage Amount: 3670

Description: A Core of Ruin is generated within your body. The Core of Ruin is the source of the Destroyer and the only power capable of overcoming Chaos.

Effect

-Absorbs Chaos from Monsters, converts it into the power of Ruin, and stores it.

Up until now, Ha Gangwoo had only had one thought on his mind.

-Stack it as high as possible and pull an S-rank.

And that line of thinking had been perfectly natural.

Because no matter how many Ruin Constructs he summoned, the only one he could control via Login was a single one.

But not anymore.

What would happen if he summoned multiple Ruin Constructs on par with Ru and used the Controller skill on them?

*Thump—thump—*

Even if they weren’t as strong as Ru, if he just had the gear to carry them, wouldn’t that effectively create a private party tailored just for him?

*Gulp.*

Swallowing dryly, Ha Gangwoo slowly brought the Activation Word to mind.

‘Ruin Construct Summon.’

The moment he did — *whoosh—*

A thick darkness seeped out from beyond Ha Gangwoo’s grasp, coiling and condensing upon itself.

*Ding-*

[You have summoned a Ruin Construct.]

A welcome notification chimed.

Ha Gangwoo looked at the Ruin Construct that had appeared before him and cracked a grin.

“No way.”

It wasn’t just one Ruin Construct.

A full seven of them.

Ha Gangwoo had just figured out how to use the Lord of Ruin.