*Murmur, murmur—*

A large crowd gathered around the Association Academy, buzzing with chatter.

“Excuse me, let me through.”

Just then, a Player dispatched from the Association arrived on the report. Joo Changmo pushed through the crowd and entered the academy.

‘What the hell’s going on?’

Joo Changmo picked at his ear, looking like he couldn’t be bothered with any of it.

He was, after all, a Player ranked number 1,000 in the current world Ranking.

He’d had a packed schedule—just yesterday, he’d wrapped up a Gate.

So, when the Association called him in again today—

-We’re short-staffed. Please, just this once.

[No.]

-We’ll triple the quota.

[I said no. I’ve got plans today.]

-Quadruple!!!

[Deal!]

Four times the quota for a single deployment.

‘Let’s wrap this up quick.’

Joo Changmo’s mind was already set on finishing the job and getting out to have fun.

No wonder—tonight’s party had celebrities attending. He absolutely couldn’t miss it.

The moment Joo Changmo pushed through the dozens-strong crowd and stepped forward—

“That… it’s not a Monster, is it?”

“Fuck, call the Association. Look at it—it’s obviously a Monster.”

The crowd’s murmurs reached his ears.

Voices trembling, as if seized by fear.

‘A Monster?’

The report to the Association had been about a high-level Player causing a disturbance.

And now suddenly it’s Monsters?

After passing through the last of the crowd, Joo Changmo could see it.

“…”

The center of the training ground was torn apart as if a meteor had struck.

*Grrrr—*

Before him stood two demons, exuding an eerie Demonic energy.

The corner of Joo Changmo’s mouth twitched upward slightly.

Five years of experience as a Player—he could tell at a glance.

The Monsters before him were as dangerous as any A-grade Monster.

“You’re worth my time.”

But Joo Changmo didn’t hesitate.

Because he was confident.

With the Awakening he’d learned just a month ago, an A-Rank Monster or even an S-Rank Monster posed no problem for him.

So without a moment’s pause, he reached into the empty air.

Shhh—

A massive spear materialized at Changmo’s fingertips.

“Then let’s go.”

With that, Changmo stepped without hesitation into the heart of the battlefield.

***

-Found you.

A grating, eerie sound like metal scraping metal rippled through the air.

‘…’

Thump-thump-

Ha Gangwoo swallowed dryly as he stared at the demon that had appeared so abruptly.

Two massive horns, black skin, pitch-black sclera, violet pupils.

A form that reminded him of Lucifel. But its body was twice the size.

Gulp-

Just locking eyes sent a chill crawling over his entire body, every hair standing on end.

It felt almost exactly like the first time he’d faced Lucifel.

‘No way.’

But something was different this time.

Ha Gangwoo had grown since then.

What if he faced the Lucifel from the Tutorial at his current level?

Gangwoo knew the answer without a second thought.

‘One hit would be enough.’

Just a single exchange, and he could take down Lucifel.

So what did it mean that this monster gave him the same feeling?

Thump-thump-

Gangwoo lowered his stance, spreading his Sense as wide as he could.

Ready to react the moment the demon moved.

But as if mocking that thought,

Shhh—

Before Gangwoo could even register it, the demon was right in front of him.

Gulp-

Gangwoo stumbled back a step, looking up at the demon.

The towering monster, easily over 5 meters, glared down with a cold gaze.

Its vertically slit pupils and thick Demonic energy pressed down on his entire body.

In an instant, a suffocating pressure crushed in on him.

-An interesting little bastard.

The demon murmured slowly.

‘It talks?’

The moment Gangwoo sensed danger and tried to lower his stance to create distance,

The demon’s eyes, blazing with rage, narrowed into slits.

Clutch-

A violent shock slammed into Gangwoo’s neck.

The demon had grabbed him by the throat.

Crack—

It was only a light grip,

“Ghk—”

But Gangwoo’s body was helplessly lifted from the ground.

Ding-

[You have consumed 800 HP.]

Just from the force of that grip, his HP had been ripped away in chunks.

‘Strong.’

He’d missed the demon’s movements repeatedly.

He couldn’t even gauge how vast the gap between them was.

‘Is it an S-Rank Monster?’

Ha Gangwoo gritted his teeth and drove the dagger into the demon’s grip.

Crack—

But the blade couldn’t even cut through its skin.

“Kuh-huk…”

Pressure like a giant iron block crushed down on his throat.

With Demonization, Samyun’s Wrath, and the Rainbow Buff stacked, Gangwoo’s Strength stat soared past 1,000.

Yet even that couldn’t break free from this grip.

Crunch—

Gangwoo ground his molars, gripping Samyun’s Wrath and the Rainbow Dagger tighter.

Sssss—

A fierce glow suffused his entire body.

Ding—

[Absorbing 140 Demonic Energy.]

[All stats increased by 70.]

[Acquired Rainbow Buff [Blue].]

[All stats increased by 100%.]

If his stats weren’t enough, he’d just raise them.

Flex—

Every muscle in Gangwoo’s body swelled, resisting the demon’s crushing grip.

“—Oh?!”

The demon’s lips curled with interest, and Gangwoo seized the moment.

Whoosh—

Samyun’s Wrath, gripped in his right hand, shot toward the demon’s abdomen.

The greatest weakness of any Demonfolk was the core embedded in their solar plexus!

Perhaps because his Strength had reached 3,000?

With a light swing, the blade glowed red-hot.

And so, Samyun’s Wrath drew closer to the demon’s solar plexus—then, in that instant.

Snatch—

The demon caught Samyun’s Wrath with insulting ease.

Crunch—

The demon’s grip and the blade clashed, screeching against each other.

Just how high was its defense, that it couldn’t even pierce the hide?

‘I need to create distance.’

To wrench free from the trapped blade, Gangwoo clenched his fist.

‘Force Discharge.’

Ding—

[Used Demon: Force Discharge!!]

CLANG!!!!

A colossal shockwave erupted from the demon’s abdomen.

BOOOOOOOM—

The recoil slammed Gangwoo’s body to the ground.

“Hah… hah…”

Gasping for breath, Gangwoo pushed himself up. His gaze landed on the demon.

Grinning, the demon raised the blade in its hand.

“—I’ll be taking this back.”

It had stolen Samyun’s Wrath from him.

‘Taking it back?’

But it was the demon’s next words that mattered.

In that instant, that single phrase cleared the chaos in his mind.

Samyun’s Secret Laboratory—a B-rank Gate. The hidden monster he’d killed there had dropped Samyun’s Wrath.

And now a monster had come to claim it. Didn’t that just click perfectly?

The monster standing before him was none other than—

‘Samyun.’

The original owner of that weapon.

“Hoo…”

Gangwoo steadied his breath and lowered his stance.

‘Anyway. Forget all that — how is this thing this strong?’

Ha Gangwoo had been feeling pretty good about where he stood.

A player barely past level 100 outperforming max-level rankers — and hadn’t he just taken down Kim Honggu in that fight?

No matter how he sliced it, he figured his level was good enough to handle an S-Rank monster on his own.

And now he was struggling like this against a single monster.

‘High-Grade, even among S-Ranks.’

Gangwoo made the call on the spot.

He’d thrown everything at it — Demonization, Samyun’s Wrath, the Rainbow Dagger — and was still outclassed in every way.

Retreat was the smart play. But then — slowly, steadily — Gangwoo reached out his hand.

Because he still had one card he hadn’t played.

Thump — thump —

That was the moment Gangwoo began to quietly call his Activation word to mind.

“DIE!!!!!”

A man’s roar came from behind him.

“What the—?!”

Gangwoo had every nerve locked on Samyun — so he spotted the man too late.

Whoosh—

The spear in the man’s hand sliced through the air, glowing red-hot.

Speed, the presence he gave off—by any measure, he was at least Kim Honggu’s equal, or better.

A Player attacking him in the middle of dealing with demons?

For a moment, irritation surged up hot in Gangwoo’s throat.

Creeeak—

Ha Gangwoo ground his teeth so hard they creaked, pupils contracting.

Hwoong—

The sharp spear tip drove straight for his heart.

Ding-

[Realm of Transcendence has been activated.]

And then everything slowed.

In that decelerated world, Ha Gangwoo clenched his fist tight.

‘Not bad.’

The Player attacking him now was at minimum Kim Honggu’s equal—maybe stronger.

If they’d been clearing monsters together, he’d have been a major asset.

Yet here he was, striking at Gangwoo.

Why?

Oh—he’d mistaken Gangwoo, transformed by Demonization, for a monster.

Was there even time to talk him down? Did they really need an asset who couldn’t tell friend from foe?

Creeeak—

So Ha Gangwoo drove his fist forward with all the strength he could muster.

‘Force Discharge.’

Ding-

[You have used Demon: Force Discharge.]

Crack!!!!!!

His fist, packed with every ounce of his being, shot out through the frozen time like a cannon blast.

That was the moment it met the edge of the spear.

Ding-!!!!

[Counter Reflection has been activated.]

Crack!!!!!!!!!!!

The shockwave Gangwoo had unleashed came roaring back, engulfing his entire body.

“Kuh—hck…”

CRRRRRRRASH—

His body gouged a violent trench through the earth before slamming—BAM!!!!—into a building.

Thud.

Right where Gangwoo had stood, a man settled into a relaxed stance, the corner of his mouth curling up.

“That’s one down.”

That man was none other than Joo Changmo.

The name of the man who had pushed an already desperate situation to its absolute limit.

***

“Who the hell… is that guy?”

“Looks like a Player dispatched by the Association.”

“But why’s he attacking one of his own?”

“Not you…”

The students, watching Kim Honggu and Ha Gangwoo’s PVP, tilted their heads in confusion.

A Player who’d appeared out of nowhere—starting with the sudden Demonfolk—had attacked Ha Gangwoo, a fellow Player.

The irony hung in the air as the scene played out.

“Master!!!”

Mimic rushed toward the building Ha Gangwoo had been slammed into, her footsteps urgent.

The remaining children still stared at the training ground.

Then, sensing the danger, the Association instructor appeared.

“What are you doing! Run, now!!!”

“Huh?”

The children were puzzled, but the instructor’s firm command forced them to move.

And so, they began shuffling toward evacuation.

“Dad…”

Except for one child.

***

Gulp-gulp-

Ding-

[You have recovered 2,000 HP.]

“Hah…”

Clang-

Kim Honggu tossed the empty Potion to the ground.

Then, from his Inventory, he pulled out a set of solid metal armor and began to put it on.

Ding-

[You have equipped the Brebros Chain Mail.]

[You have equipped the Grecon Greaves.]

……..

…..

….

.

Item after item—all A-Rank to S-Rank.

Because he could feel that the Demonfolk-type Monster that had suddenly appeared was no ordinary threat.

Once his gear was set, dense Mana began to flow from every part of Kim Honggu’s body.

‘Lucky bastard.’

But something else gnawed at Kim Honggu more than the Monster.

Joo Changmo, the one who’d just crushed Ha Gangwoo in a single blow—the man he himself had struggled against—was getting under his skin.

Joo Changmo was the one who’d knocked him out of last year’s Ranking match.

And now he felt humiliated by the same opponent again.

Rage surged so hot he wanted to throw it all away on the spot,

‘First, kill the Monster.’

Kim Honggu forced his gaze away.

Krrrrrr-

The spine-chilling demon swept its gaze around like it was looking at trash.

“Fuck, what an ugly bastard.”

Was it because of the memory of getting beaten by Ha Gangwoo? Just looking at the demon’s shape made his stomach turn.

Kim Honggu walked toward Joo Changmo.

“Oh?! We meet again here.”

Joo Changmo, years younger, spoke casually to him.

“Shut up and pick a position.”

“Position? Didn’t you see me just kill one? Just watch.”

Joo Changmo brushed off Kim Honggu’s words and charged forward with force.

Whoosh-

His light footsteps split the ground.

‘Fast.’

Kim Honggu couldn’t hide his surprise the moment he saw that movement.

Back when they’d fought in last year’s Ranking match, Kim Honggu had thought he lost because he let his guard down.

Their Status, skill, and Traits were all on similar levels—if anything, Kim Honggu had the edge.

But seeing Joo Changmo’s movement now made him realize the truth.

‘Damn it.’

Joo Changmo had already surpassed him long ago.

Leaving the desolate Kim Honggu behind, *Whoosh*—Joo Changmo charged toward the demon.

“Just die already!!!!”

Only one thought filled Joo Changmo’s mind.

To finish this incident as fast as possible—even a second sooner—so he could make it to the party tonight.

With one already down, his confidence soared sky-high.

His legs drove off the earth, propelling him forward, and the moment he was within range—

*Whoosh*—The spear cleaved through the air, glowing red-hot.

The sharp strike shot straight for the demon’s face in an instant.

Every setting tuned for speed, his pace outpaced most Rankers.

*Ssshhh—*

But the demon’s massive arm moved to block the spear.

‘That’s what I wanted.’

Joo Changmo traced the demon’s form in his pupils and curled the corner of his mouth.

‘Too bad it’s not a counterattack.’

His absolute confidence came from a single skill.

And then, at the moment his decisive strike met the demon’s grasp—

*Ding-*

[Counter Reflection has been activated.]

*Crack—*

Joo Changmo’s spear pierced straight through the demon’s palm.

Even Ha Gangwoo’s full power hadn’t budged that demon’s body, yet it was skewered this easily.

The destructive force was satisfying enough, but Joo Changmo’s expression hardened.

“No way…”

Because it was far too lacking compared to what he’d expected.

Counter Reflection was an Awakening Skill that countered not just attacks, but even guards, reflecting them back intact.

So it should’ve shown enough power to grind down the demon’s upper body, not just its palm—nothing less.

But the demon’s form remained far too calm.

*Ssshhh—* Then, the demon’s grasp moved toward Joo Changmo’s shoulder.

“Damn it!”

Sensing something wrong, Joo Changmo braced to pull back.

But—*Crunch!*—The spear lodged in the demon’s hand locked him in place.

“Huh?!”

*Snatch—*

The demon’s arm seized Joo Changmo’s shoulder, and *Crackle—* It began crushing down.

“ARGH!!!!!!!!!”

Joo Changmo’s agonizing scream rang out as *Crunch—* His shoulder was torn apart bit by bit.

Blood burst from the red strands of fiber.

“What the fuck are you doing, you idiot!!!!”

*Ding-*

[Beast’s Roar has been used.]

[The target has resisted.]

At that moment, unable to watch any longer, Kim Honggu gripped his axe with all his might and stepped forward.

*Clang!!!!*

Kim Honggu’s massive axe slammed down on the demon’s shoulder; the demon withdrew its hand from Joo Changmo’s shoulder to block the attack.

“Fuck!”

Kim Honggu had known the blockage was coming, but actually being blocked felt like raw shit.

‘Distance first.’

He made the call in a heartbeat.

Joo Changmo outclassed him in raw power. A man wearing the title of Rank 1,000 in the world, no less.

That screaming wreck was supposed to be the thousandth-strongest Player on the planet.

And a monster had crushed him like that.

‘Too dangerous.’

This wasn’t something he could handle alone, not even close.

So Kim Honggu gripped his axe with both hands.

Ding-

[Big Crush activated.]

He swung the Mana-charged axe like a baseball bat, putting every ounce of strength into the blow.

All to blast the demon as far away as possible.

Clang!!!!

The instant his axe met the demon’s frame—

“Huh?!”

A sharp, singing vibration shot up through his hands, and then—Boom!!! The one flying backward was none other than Kim Honggu himself.

Crrrraaaaaaash—

His body gouged a wretched trench across the earth before crumpling.

Skrrrr—

He skidded another hundred meters before finally stopping, then slowly forced his heavy body upright.

“You fucking monster…”

To be pushed back by his own attack. Could there be a greater humiliation?

“Haaah… haaah…”

Kim Honggu lifted his head, sucking in ragged breaths.

“Where’d it go?”

The demon was nowhere to be seen where it should have been.

“Aaaagh!!! It hurts! It hurts!”

Only Joo Changmo’s sobbing, pain-wracked form reflected in his pupils.

Then, a girl’s cry reached his bewildered ears.

“Dad!!!!!!! Behind you!!!!”

At the shout, Kim Honggu slowly turned his head—but Crack!!!!! A searing pain exploded through his solar plexus.

“Ghk—”

He couldn’t do a thing.

***

“What the hell is the Association doing!!!”

“No way… Yuna’s dad is a Ranker—how is that even possible?”

Terror flooded the faces of the students watching the scene.

“Master…”

At the heart of the chaos, Mimic began shoving through shattered rubble, searching for Ha Gangwoo.

She lifted huge bricks and boulders until she found him.

“Haaah… haaah…”

His Demonization had unraveled, leaving him battered and broken.

“Master!!!!”

With tear-filled eyes, Mimic started shaking Ha Gangwoo’s shoulders like a madwoman.

“Stop.”

Ha Gangwoo winced, scowling as if the shaking was pounding inside his skull, and slowly pushed himself upright.

Ding-

[HP is below 5%.]

(Warning! Beware of death!!!)

A red system window flashed before his eyes.

‘A counter-skill… huh.’

The raw destructive force of the Demon: Force Discharge left a buzzing ache buried deep in his bones.

Cough—

A streak of red blood trickled from Ha Gangwoo’s lips.

“Master, please drink this.”

Mimic had already pulled out a red Potion and held it out to him.

Ding-

[You have used a Mid-Grade HP Potion.]

His dizzy vision slowly began to clear.

“Hoo…”

Ha Gangwoo steadied his breath and fixed his gaze forward.

“Aaaah!!! S-save me!!!”

Students screamed and fled in panic.

“Kkuh…”

Kim Honggu and Joo Changmo lay crumpled on the ground in a bloody mess.

A demon’s silhouette stood atop the bloodlust-soaked earth.

Without hesitation, the demon’s violet pupils flashed as it stared at one spot.

‘Just as I thought—the target is me.’

It was Ha Gangwoo himself.

Thud—thud—

The demon’s massive body shook the ground as it strode toward him.

Thump—thump—

His heart jolted. His HP had recovered, but he didn’t have the strength left to move a single finger.

Thump-thump-

So running would have been the smart choice.

Thump-thump-

But Ha Gangwoo curled the corner of his mouth and spread his palm open.

‘The key.’

Ding-

[You have summoned the My Room key from your Inventory.]

Because he was curious.

‘Perfect timing.’

A key clicked snugly into Ha Gangwoo’s grip.

Ding-

[A door connected to My Room has been created.]

Just how far would Ru’s true power reach—now that he was fully kitted out and had even completed his Job Change?

A door materialized in front of Ha Gangwoo, and with a creak, a boy walked out from beyond it.

Ding-

[You have used Login.]

Right now, Ha Gangwoo’s strongest asset.

“Let’s do this right.”

Ding-

[Logging in to Ruin Construct: Ru.]

It was time to prove Ru’s true power.