Swish—Clang!! Swish—Clang!!

Kang Seongbin’s greatsword pounded the altar’s floor.

“Damn it!! Damn it!!!”

Kang Seongbin twisted his face into a scowl as he cursed.

Beiron was dead, and with Chae Seohyun’s Purification skill blocking the Demon Hand’s power, his mind remained intact.

But even his rage felt hollow now. It was just that the present situation infuriated him so much.

*CRASH!*

Kang Seongbin slammed his full weight down, and the floor roared under the impact.

“Huff… huff…”

He scowled, chest heaving as he sucked in air.

Kang Seongbin.

He was an elite.

First in school, first in tournaments — always number one.

Everywhere he went, eyes followed. He was always the protagonist.

His Trait was S-Rank. Of course people envied him.

His father looked down on him, but that only made him work harder.

The power he earned through talent and effort only grew. That’s why he never doubted himself.

The object of everyone’s admiration. He thought that way until just now.

‘Fuck…’

But what the hell was this situation? He hadn’t done a single thing.

*Creeeeak* — his grip on the greatsword tightened, knuckles white.

He hadn’t landed a single blow on the Boss.

‘…’

He ground his teeth without even realizing it.

‘I’m a total nobody here…’

All of it. All of it was because of that bastard.

Kang Seongbin’s eyes flashed as he fixed his gaze on Ha Gangwoo.

‘What the hell is that guy?’

The question others always held about him — now he was the one asking it.

Meanwhile,

“Hmm…”

Lee Ayeon crouched beside Beiron’s corpse, studying it.

A massive hole gaped in Beiron’s chest. The impact had been so violent that huge cracks spiderwebbed out from the body like screaming fissures.

‘…’

The ever-present smirk was gone from Lee Ayeon’s face. In its place was something chilling.

“This isn’t enough…”

*Squish* — she traced her index finger across the pierced flesh. Viscous black blood stretched in a thread, clinging to her skin.

‘…’

Her expression as she stared at that blood was utterly blank.

***

Ha Gangwoo crossed his arms and checked his Status Window.

[Ha Gangwoo]

Level: 23

HP: 2230/2230

MP: 111/111

Strength: 80(+95)

Agility: 50(+75)

Vitality: 53(+164)

Mana: 50(+61)

Sense: 40(+22)

Luck: 55(+25)

Unallocated: 28

Killing Beiron had jumped him four whole levels.

Points earned: 28.

Agility: 50 → 60 (+10)

Vitality: 53 → 61 (+8)

Sense: 40 → 50 (+10)

He invested evenly into the stats he felt were lacking. Repeated battles had taught him the value of balance.

Now, just this left.

Ha Gangwoo picked up the small card.

A white card with the letter D printed on it, shimmering in a checked pattern.

[Skill Catalog]

Grade: D

Description: Randomly acquire one D-Rank skill.

This was the Catalog he got from taking down Beiron.

A D-Rank Catalog — the same grade as his Attack Stance.

‘What’ll I get?’

A vague sense of anticipation rose again.

If it hadn’t been for that attack stance in the last fight, he’d never have breached Beiron’s barrier.

This Catalog right here was worth that kind of expectation.

‘But ‘score’ — does that mean rank?’

Ha Gangwoo crossed his arms, stroked his chin, and stared at the system window floating before him.

[Special Event Cleared.]

[Beiron’s Barrier Destroyed Without Judgment of Destruction!!]

Description: You have achieved an unbelievable feat! Bonus score and a special reward will be granted.

Reward: Score +50, Skill Catalog

The window had appeared the moment he took down Beiron.

None of the other party members seemed to know what a Catalog was, so —

‘I’m the only one who got this.’

It was a reward reserved solely for Ha Gangwoo, who had landed the killing blow on Beiron.

‘Is 50 points a lot?’

How many ranks would 50 points even jump him?

On floor one, killing the Orc had earned him an SS rank. The rewards were insane.

An E-grade Artifact, plus 20,000 Gold. Combine that with the 80,000 Gold from the Orc itself, and it came to a staggering 100,000 Gold.

On floor two, he’d received an A rank. All he’d gotten was 200 Gold and a C-grade item — ‘Sero’s Ring’.

Only two tiers separated A rank from SS rank, but the gap in rewards was stark.

By that logic, +50 points felt like a pretty solid haul.

It could even be enough to bump an S rank up to SS.

Still, he’d already gotten a reward.

‘This Catalog is already plenty.’

A thin smile crept across Ha Gangwoo’s lips.

A D-grade Catalog was worth at least a million Gold. So even this single Catalog alone was an enormous payout.

With a satisfied expression, Ha Gangwoo used the Catalog immediately.

Ding-

[Swift Movements]

Grade: D

Type: Active [OFF]

MP Cost: 1 per second

Action: Extend your right leg forward and lower your stance.

Effect: Increases movement speed by 50%.

“Off?”

Just as expected — a D-grade Skill Catalog skill was satisfying.

Still,

‘That action is a pain.’

It was just a minor nuisance, the action part.

Having to deliberately thrust his right leg forward seemed tough to pull off mid-combat.

But the effect looked solid.

A skill that boosted movement speed by a full 50%.

He felt like trying it out right away.

‘Let’s give it a shot.’

Ha Gangwoo extended his right leg forward and lowered his stance.

‘Swift Movements.’

*Huum-*

[Swift Movements is activated.]

[Movement speed increased by 50%.]

[1 MP consumed.]

[1 MP consumed.]

[1 MP consumed.]

[1 MP consumed.]

…..

…

A faint blue light from the skill gathered around his feet.

It was a crazy effect — consuming 1 MP per second — but —

[MP: 111/111]

— Ha Gangwoo’s MP remained untouched.

‘It lines up just like that, huh.’

The reason was —

[Reins’ Armlet]

Grade: D

Attack Power: 15

Mana: +15

Vitality: +20

Description: A bracelet Reins always wore on his person. Initials are engraved on it, as if it were a gift from someone. (F.E)

Effect

– Recovers 1 MP per second

This item, taken from Reins’s corpse, was the reason.

The moment MP dropped by 1, it restored 1.

‘Broken.’

Perfect synergy. A flat fifty-percent movement-speed boost with zero penalty?

His grip on the lance tightened.

‘What’s the next floor?’

Whatever quest the next floor threw at him, he was surging with the confidence to clear it.

That was the moment Ha Gangwoo was steadying himself, marshaling his full strength.

“Everyone, gather up for a second!!! Something’s wrong!”

Chae Seohyun’s voice shot up, urgent. Her usually blank face was clouded with bewilderment.

Gangwoo stared at her. She pressed on.

“The quest hasn’t cleared!!!”

“Huh?”

Gangwoo yanked the quest window open.

[Summon That Calls Ruin][S]

Grade: D

Description: The dark mage ‘Beiron’ is summoning a Great Demon. Unite with your party members to stop Beiron’s summoning and protect the peace of Sky Land!!!

‘No way…’

Gangwoo lifted his head to the sky. The red sky. The red moon. And—

A pitch-black sphere.

Even with Beiron dead, the sphere kept swelling.

“What the… is this…”

***

Beneath the red sky and the enormous black sphere, Gangwoo’s party stood shoulder to shoulder, heads together.

[Time until demon summoning: 11:12]

Hardly any time left.

“Damn it!!!!”

Kang Seongbin gripped his greatsword, stringing curses.

“So what do we do?”

Lee Ayeon smirked, a thin smile curling her lips as she asked Seohyun.

Seohyun opened the quest window and sank into thought.

[Summon That Calls Ruin][S]

Grade: D

Description: The dark mage ‘Beiron’ is summoning a Great Demon. Unite with your party members to stop Beiron’s summoning and protect the peace of Sky Land!!!

Nervously, she fidgeted with the pendant on her chest.

‘Isn’t the clear condition to stop the summoning?’

That’s what she’d thought. And yet, this was the result.

‘Maybe stopping the summoning requires some other mechanism?’

Could there be items beyond the two armaments they’d just obtained? The TIP had left out any such detail.

[Description: The dark mage ‘Beiron’ is summoning a Great Demon. Unite with your party members to stop Beiron’s summoning and protect the peace of Sky Land!!!]

One phrase from the quest window nagged at Seohyun as she studied it.

‘The clear condition is…’

Her fidgeting hand on the pendant stopped. She’d found her footing.

“Protect the peace.”

Seohyun reached her conclusion.

‘Set effect.’

[Judgment of Destruction]

Effect: Strike That Destroys All Darkness. The effect vanishes the moment it lands a single blow.

Cooldown: 120 minutes (resets when a price is paid).

Chae Seohyun’s gaze lifts to the sky. A colossal black sphere hovers there, radiating a grim, overwhelming presence.

‘Strike That Destroys All Darkness. So the darkness meant that sphere.’

The real purpose of this Quest was to restore peace to Sky Land. And the true use of that armament was to destroy that sphere.

Every piece clicked into place.

This place was the Tutorial. Meaning, instead of ramping up monster difficulty, they’d raised the challenge through these puzzle-like mechanisms.

‘Thank god I didn’t waste it on Beiron.’

Until a moment ago, she’d thought the armament’s effect was meant to pierce Beiron’s Barrier.

But its real purpose had been something else entirely.

Chae Seohyun fixed her eyes on Ha Gangwoo.

‘If this guy hadn’t been here, I’d have retired right then.’

And the one who’d made their clear possible was none other than Ha Gangwoo.

Chae Seohyun stepped slowly toward Ha Gangwoo.

“I think I understand now why the Quest didn’t clear.”

She laid out her thoughts as she spoke.

***

About a minute. Chae Seohyun gave a quick, concise explanation.

Lee Ayeon wiped the smile off her face and looked at Chae Seohyun.

Kang Seongbin still stood with his arms crossed, simmering with anger.

Ha Gangwoo nodded at Chae Seohyun’s words and tightened his grip on the armament.

‘She managed to think that far.’

Chae Seohyun’s reasoning was certainly persuasive.

‘Interesting.’

From the armament’s existence to the Quest’s content. He found amusement in these puzzle-like devices.

‘But… something’s nagging at me.’

Ha Gangwoo frowned at the golden armament in his hand. There was still one lingering question.

“Throw it already! We’re running out of time.”

Chae Seohyun’s voice was urgent.

‘Just overthinking it?’

At her shout, Ha Gangwoo decided to clear his mind.

Ha Gangwoo immediately set his stance.

‘How do I use this thing?’

Doubt flickered over the armament’s usage, but then he had a hunch.

Every System function so far had been triggered by an Activation Word.

‘Judgment of Destruction.’

A fierce golden light rippled along the Lance in Ha Gangwoo’s hand.

*Whirr*—The light coalesced until it began vibrating with a fine hum.

[The ‘Lance Imbued with Sacred Light’ is granted the Judgment of Destruction effect.]

Ha Gangwoo looked up at the black sphere.

The sphere had grown so huge that, at some point, the sky itself was no longer visible behind it.

‘Missing would be harder than hitting.’

Ha Gangwoo raised the armament into throwing position. He poured all his strength into his arm. *Clench!!* The veins bulged in his forearm gripping the spear.

He whipped his arm around. Like a coiled spring snapping free, his arm traced an arc through the air.

Whrum—

The armament sliced viciously through the air, hurtling skyward.

Straight for the ominously churning black sphere!!

Sshhhhhiiing—

Even at such height, it reached in an instant.

Then—Crack!!!!!!

A massive detonation echoed across the sky.

And so they thought it was over.

But then.

Crack—

A sound of something shattering,

Ding—

[You have destroyed Beiron’s Barrier.]

The system chime rang in their ears,

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud—

Fragments of the barrier pelted the ground.

“What the hell… is this…”

Ha Gangwoo stared blankly, tilting his head up at the sky.

Gulp— He swallowed dryly without realizing.

Whump—whump—whump—whump—

The lance he’d hurled skyward plunged into the ground with a thud! under gravity’s pull.

The black sphere that should have vanished still loomed with immense presence.

“What the hell!!”

Kang Seongbin barked, while a smile spread across Lee Ayeon’s lips.

Chae Seohyun clutched the pendant at her chest.

[Time until demon summon: 8:12]

Barely eight minutes left until the summon.

They were staring down maximum crisis.