Whoooosh—

Rainwater soaked the ground of the dark forest.

Seven shadows moved busily across the wet earth.

Squelch— Squelch—

The seven shadows led their small bodies, dragging Lizardman corpses to a single point.

When roughly a hundred bodies had piled up—

Ha Gangwoo reached his hand toward the mountain of corpses.

Ding—

[Absorbing 60 Chaos Essence.]

[Absorbing 60 Chaos Essence.]

[Absorbing 60 Chaos Essence.]

[Absorbing 60 Chaos Essence.]

……..

…..

….

.

[Core of Ruin]

Grade: ???

Storage: 1280

Description: The Core of Ruin is created within your body. It is the origin of the Destroyer and the only power capable of overcoming chaos.

Effect

– Absorbs Chaos from Monsters, converts it to Ruin power, and stores it.

Had he been hunting for about two hours?

The storage amount he had gathered was a whopping 1200—enough to summon two F-grade Ruin Constructs.

And that wasn’t the end of the rewards.

Ding—

[You have defeated a Forest of Lament Lizardman.]

[You acquire 150,000 EXP!!]

[You have acquired an additional 300,000 EXP due to the Perk effect.]

[You have acquired an additional 75,000 EXP due to the Aura of Growth effect.]

Even now, EXP kept pouring in,

Ding—

[You have acquired a Lizardman Leather Jacket.]

along with the incidental drops.

Ha Gangwoo was sweeping through the monsters in the Forest of Lament.

But even that time of joy was racing toward its end.

As if sensing something, Gangwoo retrieved all his items and headed toward where Ru was hunting.

‘The Boss, finally.’

Ding—

[The master of the Forest of Lament, Ilegrigo of Lament, has appeared.]

Gangwoo arrived at Ru’s location and stared straight ahead.

Whoosh—

Through the pouring curtain of rain, the Boss’s silhouette burned itself onto his retinas.

Squelch-

A living creature encased head-to-toe in armor.

It wore a human shape, but every ragged breath—krrrr—screamed that this thing had lost its mind long ago.

And in front of that grisly Boss, a boy drenched in blood trudged forward without a shred of fear.

‘Let’s see what it’s got.’

That boy was the Ruin Construct: Ru.

A faint aura of Mana radiated from his fully equipped armor.

Ha Gangwoo watched with a lifted corner of his mouth, eyes fixed straight ahead, as if amused.

The aura the Boss gave off—even at a low estimate—matched the Hidden Boss Bindenz, the same one that had yielded Samyun’s Wrath.

Against that, the Ruin Construct: Ru couldn’t even execute basic techniques through the Controller yet.

Under normal circumstances, Gangwoo would have been certain this was an impossible fight.

But now he just stood there, eyes glittering.

Because this was the moment to prove the power he’d gained from his Job Change—and the strength of a fully-geared Ru.

As if answering that expectation, Ru slammed his full strength into the ground.

One simple motion—but *Boom!!!*—the earth exploded beneath him, and Ru’s form sliced through the air.

Fully equipped, Ru’s Strength had reached 900, and his Agility had surpassed 600.

Was that why?

Slithering forward in an instant, Ru closed to within a hair’s breadth of the Boss.

Then he swung his sword—lightly.

Whoosh-

In that instant, a bone-chilling noise pierced the rain and filled the whole forest.

Shiiink-

But the arc of Ru’s blade only embroidered empty air.

Screeeech-

Ilegrigo of Lament had twisted his body grotesquely, slipping the attack entirely.

As expected from a Boss Monster in its 100s.

It wasn’t just its Mana reserves—its actual skill was extraordinary.

Ru’s decisive strike missed, leaving a massive opening. Ilegrigo didn’t let the instant slip by.

—Keeeeyaaahk!!!!

Ilegrigo’s massive blade swung toward Ru’s neck.

Just like that, the experiment seemed over.

But in that moment—

Ding-

[An Orb of Ruin has been generated!!!]

[An Orb of Ruin has been generated!!!]

[An Orb of Ruin has been generated!!!]

Three Orbs of Ruin rose into the air around Ru.

The effect of his full equipment set had activated.

The conjured Orbs of Ruin met Ilegrigo’s sword.

In that instant—

*Bang!!!*

With a colossal explosion, Ilegrigo’s massive body scraped across the ground, *crackling*, as it was shoved backward.

Ru didn’t let the opening slip by.

Slithering-

He dove into Ilegrigo’s chest in a flash, *whoosh*, and swung his sword again.

*Swish-swish-*

But Ru’s clumsy strikes couldn’t even graze a single hair on the Boss.

The meaningless assault dragged on — maybe five minutes had passed?

[An Orb of Ruin has been created!!!]

[An Orb of Ruin has been created!!!]

[An Orb of Ruin has been created!!!]

……..

…..

….

.

Thousands of Orbs of Ruin bloomed around Ru like dark flowers.

Boom!!! Boom!!!

Each time, Ilegrigo’s body collided with an Orb of Ruin, sent ricocheting in a new direction.

The chain of endless detonations carried on, until—

Ding-

[You have defeated Ilegrigo of Lament.]

[You gain 1,500,000 EXP!!]

[Perk bonus: you gain an additional 3,000,000 EXP.]

[Aura of Growth bonus: you gain an additional 750,000 EXP.]

[Level up!!!]

[Ruin Construct: Red has leveled up!!!]

[Ruin Construct: Orange has leveled up!!!]

[Ruin Construct: Yellow has leveled up!!!]

……..

…..

….

.

The sound marking the end of the hunt rang through the air.

Ha Gangwoo watched it all unfold, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

‘Good.’

He’d known Ruin Construct–exclusive items would be strong. But seeing it with his own eyes? It exceeded every expectation.

A single sword stroke spawning three Orbs of Ruin. What would happen if his Ruin Constructs gained sentience?

Thump— Thump—

Ha Gangwoo approached Ilegrigo’s obliterated corpse.

The once-gleaming armor was nothing but tattered rags now, shattered to pieces.

But atop that ruined body, a single light shimmered— Whirrr—

Ding-

[Ring of Lament]

Grade: A

Durability: 250/250

Strength: +210

Mana: +220

Description: A ring imbued with the power of Ilegrigo, master of the Forest of Lament. His lamentation robs the enemy of their will to fight.

Effect

– Inflicts the target with Lament’s Wail.

“Not bad.”

The dropped item was a full A-grade piece. He wasn’t sure of the exact effect, but the stat boost alone was more than satisfying.

[Ruin Construct: Ru has equipped the Ring of Lament.]

Ha Gangwoo fitted the reward onto Ru, then checked Ru’s Status window.

Ding-

[Ru]

Grade: D

Type: Ruin Construct

Level: 97

HP: 8780/8780

MP: 662/662

Strength: 250(+852)

Agility: 80(+556)

Vitality: 168(+710)

Mana: 50(+832)

Sense: 70(+140)

Luck: 70(+140)

Unallocated: 14

“That’s insane.”

In just three hours, Ru — who had been Level 95 — had climbed two more levels.

And with a full gear set equipped, her stats had already left Ha Gangwoo’s main body in the dust.

What would happen if she hit Level 100 and unlocked a class skill on top of that?

‘Good call raising her.’

Ha Gangwoo felt satisfied with his own judgment — equipping Ru with items first had paid off.

Ding-

Strength: 250 → 260 (↑10)

Vitality: 168 → 172 (↑4)

After finishing Ru’s stat distribution, Ha Gangwoo moved straight into his own next round of prep.

He wasn’t the only one who’d grown from today’s hunting.

Ding-

[Ha Gangwoo]

Level: 103 (↑1)

HP: 2760/2760

MP: 229/229

Strength: 210 (+463)

Agility: 160 (+101)

Vitality: 140 (+465)

Mana: 140 (+121)

Sense: 140

Luck: 140

Unallocated: 7

Ha Gangwoo looked at his Status Window and found the corner of his mouth curling up.

The figures were pathetic compared to Ru’s fully kitted-out build.

It was a situation that should’ve put him in a foul mood, but Gangwoo felt better than ever.

Because right now, his own Stats didn’t matter.

“Wonder what skill I got.”

Thump-thump—

Listening to the wild pounding of his heart, Gangwoo dove straight into satisfying his curiosity.

Ding-

[Login has been used.]

His vision *popped* and shifted in an instant, and then, from a lowered angle, a welcome notification caught his eye.

Ding-

[You have reached Level 80 and acquired a Job Skill.]

[1% Inspiration]

Grade: H

Type: Passive

Effect: Grants a 1% chance to bestow a Set Effect when crafting items.

“Whoa……”

Ha Gangwoo stared at the newly learned skill, his mouth hanging open.

A Set Effect. That was one of those effects ordinary Blacksmiths couldn’t even dream of.

Because a Set Effect was a special ability only Drop Items could possess.

It wasn’t an exaggeration—every item Violet crafted was outright broken.

But if set bonuses were added on top of that… just how insane would it get?

He swallowed hard.

And then came the even more astonishing revelation.

[Effect: When crafting items, grants a set bonus with a 17% (↑16%) probability.]

Thanks to the Luck Stat, what had been a measly 1% chance was now a staggering 17%.

“That’s insane.”

A probability that would barely trigger once out of a hundred attempts had multiplied seventeen-fold.

‘Luck really is the answer.’

The moment Ha Gangwoo saw that effect, his mind was made up.

[Violet]

Grade: F

Type: Ruin Construct

Class: Legendary Blacksmith

Level: 81 (↑5)

HP: 100/100

MP: 10/10

Strength: 10

Agility: 10

Vitality: 10

Mana: 10

Sense: 210

Luck: 335

Unallocated: 35

So he was going to dump all 35 stat points from his level-up into Luck.

Ding-

Luck: 335→ 370 (+35)

[Effect: Grants a 19% (+18%) chance of applying set effects when crafting items.]

Ha Gangwoo finished allocating Violet’s stats like that.

Ding-

[Absorbs 160 Chaos Energy.]

After absorbing the Boss’s Chaos Energy, he lifted his head toward the dark sky.

Ding-

[Forest of Lament has been cleared.]

(Time until reset: 23 hours 47 minutes)

“Figures it would reset.”

Couldn’t ask for a better setup.

The Forest of Lament was a Level-100 dungeon.

Sure, Gangwoo and Ru’s leveling speed had slowed down, but there was no better place to raise a new Ruin Construct.

With just two days, he could take a Level 1 Ruin Construct all the way to Level 80, no problem.

“Alright, let’s head back.”

With the hunt finished, Gangwoo,

Ding-

[Entered My Room.]

—stepped into My Room.

Ding-ri-ring-

Right then, his phone started buzzing.

[Mimic]

The caller was Mimic.

‘What’s this about?’

Gangwoo tilted his head and answered. Immediately, a woman’s voice crackled through the receiver.

“Are you the guardian of Mik? I’m Chu Mihyun, an instructor at the Association Academy. Your student has caused an incident. Please come to the Association immediately.”

***

“Yes, please come as soon as you can.”

Association instructor Chu Mihyun hung up the phone. She scrunched her face and let out a long sigh.

‘Of all the people to catch us, it had to be the freaking Association President!’

The reason she was this riled up was that she’d just gotten an earful from Donald David, the Association President’s secretary.

-For now, I’ll leave this to you, Instructor Chu Mihyun. I’ll be back shortly. Please handle it until I return.

As if she didn’t already stress character education in her “Children’s Academy Class.”

Players abusing their abilities was a major social issue.

Nipping that in the bud through childhood education was the Association Academy’s goal.

But a violent incident in a secluded corner of the gym? And caught by the Association President of all people?

The more Chu Mihyun thought about it, the more her blood boiled.

And she already knew exactly which little bastard had started all this.

Chu Mihyun glared at the two kids with narrowed eyes.

One sat on a chair with a purely bright expression, innocently looking around the room.

The other was clutching his right arm, sobbing his eyes out.

Which of those two was the troublemaker?

Having taught these students for a month, Chu Mihyun knew.

‘Just one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel.’

She’d already pegged that scruffy little punk as the culprit behind this whole mess.

Of course. Kim Yuna had always been the model student who looked out for her friends, while Mik was the bottom-rung outcast who couldn’t mix with the other kids.

“Haah… Seriously, I can’t even hit her.”

Kim Yuna sniffled in front of Chu Mihyun, whose anger was steadily mounting.

“Teacher… it hurts so much.”

Chu Mihyun looked at her. Little Kim Yuna’s right hand was swollen and puffy.

At minimum, the ligaments were torn.

The sight made Chu Mihyun move—she strode straight toward Mimic.

She couldn’t hold herself back any longer.

“Did you do this?”

“Huh? Uh…”

Mimic mulled it over for a moment, then seemed to reach a conclusion.

“Yes.”

All Mik had done was get slapped, but since Kim Yuna’s hand had ended up like that because she hadn’t dodged, she answered ‘yes.’

A vein bulged on Chu Mihyun’s forehead at those words.

“Ha… really. Already learning bad things at such a young age.”

Chu Mihyun tapped Mimic’s little head and narrowed her eyes nastily.

“You don’t know who Yuna’s father is, do you? You’re in huge trouble. He’s furious and on his way here right now.”

And Chu Mihyun was siding with Kim Yuna this hard precisely because of Yuna’s father.

Kim Yuna’s father was once a full Rank 999 player.

People might call him washed up now, but she’d just confirmed it on the phone.

What?! Which crazy bastard touched my daughter! I’m coming right now. Just you wait!!!

His temper was anything but ordinary.

“My dad’s scary too!”

That was when Mimic, completely oblivious, poked at Chu Mihyun’s sore spot.

“Ha! Look at this kid. You should be begging for mercy, but your dad might get beaten to death today! Apologize right now!”

Since Mimic’s enrollment info and personal details had been handled by Emily Nancy,

Chu Mihyun barked at Mimic.

And that was the moment the atmosphere turned hostile.

The door burst open!!!!

The tightly shut door of the room swung open, revealing a man’s silhouette.

“Which bastard did this!!!!!”

A thunderous roar filled the room.

It was Kim Honggu, Kim Yuna’s father.

“Daddy! Boo… hoo… Look what she did to me.”

At that, Kim Yuna sniffled and burrowed into Kim Honggu’s arms, showing him her red, swollen hand.

In an instant, Kim Honggu’s eyes snapped sideways.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Pounding his heavy frame forward, he was before Mimic in a heartbeat, unleashing his killing intent with all his might.

“Sir, please calm down. She’s still just a child.”

Sensing that killing intent, Chu Mihyun tried to hold Kim Honggu back.

“This little bitch!”

But Kim Honggu’s massive palm was already soaring high into the air,

Hwoong!!! With a sinister whistle, it swung down in a savage arc.

“Sir!!!”

Chu Mihyun squeezed her eyes shut at Kim Honggu’s sudden movement.

Even if he was a former Ranker, Kim Honggu was a Max-level Player. And a figure like that was swinging his hand in fury.

The force alone would send even most Players flying. What would happen if that power struck a child’s head?

As an instructor, she should have stopped him, but all Chu Mihyun did was press her eyes tight.

Whoosh—

Kim Honggu’s enormous palm split the air, and then—

“……….”

A dead silence fell.

“Huh?”

Chu Mihyun was puzzled. The sound she expected to hear never came.

Sensing something wrong, she slowly opened her eyes—and found it.

A young man with a cold, flat expression, gripping Kim Honggu’s arm.