“Whoa~!! That’s insane!!”

The crowd gathered around the punching machine numbered about 200 — it was no exaggeration to say most players on the 4th floor were there.

Yet each and every one wore a dazed expression, staring at the scoreboard floating in the air.

[64,194 points]

The score was a staggering 64,000 points.

Those who came to their senses began to murmur.

“Is the system broken or something?”

“Have you ever seen the system broken? I sure haven’t.”

“Then… that means…”

A rugged-looking man swallowed dryly and spoke.

“Isn’t he some top-tier rookie from a major guild? That shabby look is just to lower our guard…”

“Yeah, now that you mention it, the 1.1 million gold was already ridiculous… Whoa, I almost fell for it completely.”

Everyone, in the face of this surreal situation, let out a sigh of relief that it wasn’t them.

But the man involved, Kim Changho, still couldn’t believe what was happening.

“Br—broken?! Did it break?!”

Kim Changho’s jaw dropped as he gaped at the scoreboard.

[64,194 Points]

All this time, he’d thought 2,000 was the max—what the hell was that number?

A cold sweat slithered down his back.

‘What… what is this… Am I dreaming…’

Even with his own Trait and his team’s Buffs, he barely scraped 1,500 points. This was an insurmountable score.

‘…’

Then it happened.

Ha Gangwoo stepped forward, rotating his right fist clockwise.

He cocked his head toward the machine and said,

“Hurry up and take your shot. I don’t have all day, remember?”

“Ah… uh… w-well… you see…”

In that instant, a thousand thoughts collided in Kim Changho’s mind.

‘What do I do? Claim it’s a machine glitch? Beg? Or negotiate—pay off the 100 million Gold? Ah… what do I do…’

No matter how he racked his brain, no solution surfaced.

As Ha Gangwoo watched him silently, Kim Changho suddenly clutched his stomach.

“Ah! I… sudden emergency… bathroom… real quick…”

Ha Gangwoo’s eyes narrowed.

Meeting that gaze, a bead of cold sweat trickled down Kim Changho’s brow.

Then, Ha Gangwoo spoke.

“Go ahead.”

For a brief moment, a smile flickered at Kim Changho’s lips.

“Thank you! But, uh—that machine has a time limit, so could you maybe void this round?”

This was the best he could manage.

The only way to nullify the game was the opponent’s consent.

‘Please… please…’

Just as Kim Changho prayed inwardly, Ha Gangwoo slowly opened his mouth.

“I don’t want to.”

“Huh?”

“I said no. Why should I?”

“I-I… w-well… you see…”

Kim Changho’s words died in his throat. As that man had pointed out, there was no reason to void it.

*Ding-*

[Batter: Kim Changho]

[Time Limit: 30 seconds]

Cruelly, the system window appeared,

[Time Limit: 29 seconds]

as the timer ticked down.

In an instant, Kim Changho’s face went pale as a sheet.

Caught in a tangle of thoughts, the running timer froze his mind entirely.

[Time Limit: 27 seconds]

*Thump-*

Kim Changho suddenly dropped to his knees before Ha Gangwoo, grabbing at his pants leg.

“Please, just this once—void the game. I’ll give you the 100 million Gold right now.”

For the first time, he understood the desperation of those who had knelt and begged before him.

If it meant saving his money, he’d kneel a hundred times more.

“Please, I’m begging you. I’ll bark if you want. I’ll strip naked if you want. Please…”

[Time Limit: 25 seconds]

He poured out his plea, but no answer came back.

All he heard was the murmuring of the crowd.

“Isn’t that the same trick he pulled on that kid last week?”

“Ah! That’s the guy who made you strip, spit on your food, and then never paid up, right?”

“In the end, he got what was coming to him. Serves him right. Let’s just go.”

The spectators watching the game clicked their tongues and began filing out.

[Time Limit: 2 Seconds]

[Time Limit: 1 Second]

[Time Limit: 0 Seconds]

As the time ran out, a system window materialized.

*Ding-!*

[Victor: Ha Gangwoo!!]

[2,750,000 Gold has been awarded to Challenger Ha Gangwoo!!]

*Fwoosh—Bang!*

*Fwoosh—Bang!*

As celebratory fireworks erupted, Ha Gangwoo turned and left.

Kim Changho slumped to the ground, dazed and defeated.

He could only stare at Ha Gangwoo’s retreating back.

“W-Wait… just… wait…”

Two months of grueling hardship, plus all the gold from his party members—

He had lost everything.

***

Ha Gangwoo clenched and unclenched his right hand, studying the gloves on it.

[Training Gloves]

Grade: F

Durability: 0/10

Attack: 9

Defense: 10

Agility: 5

Description: Training gloves issued exclusively for the Tower of Training. Durable.

The moment he’d struck the punch machine, a sharp *Crack!* echoed, and the system window flickered gray.

‘Like the Gray Leather Armor top, its durability had drained completely, its glow extinguished.’

Still, a smile tugged at Ha Gangwoo’s lips.

“To think I’d make 1.65 million gold in one go.”

In a single game, 1.1 million gold had swollen to 2.75 million.

A hundred thousand gold once seemed so far away—now, money was calling to money. Two point seven five million gold.

*Thump-thump, thump-thump—*

His heart pounded, adrenaline surging through him.

[DLC-Shop]

DLC-Inventory Upgrade – 500,000 Gold

DLC-Auction House VIP Pass – 1,000,000 Gold

–

(Refresh)

‘Even after buying everything in the DLC Shop, I’d have over a million gold left. Maybe I should grab a decent weapon while I’m at it?’

The money had come easy, and it made him want to spend.

Besides, he was unarmed now.

But then another thought crossed his mind.

‘Should I try another game?’

System-run games like the punch machine were foolproof—no risk of being scammed.

And he had confidence in any strength-based challenge. With his absurd stats and combat stance, he was unstoppable.

At this rate, even 10 million gold was within reach.

Ha Gangwoo clenched his fist and eyed the other game stalls.

He was itching to jump into another match.

But murmurs from the crowd reached his ears.

“Hey, that’s the guy cosplaying as a Newbie. Watch out—he just wrecked the guy running the punch machine.”

“I saw it too. Look at how he’s dressed—total poser. But damn, he’s sharp.”

Listening to the whispers around him, Ha Gangwoo slipped off the Training Gloves.

‘Word’s already spread, huh.’

The fourth floor wasn’t a spacious area. Rumors about Ha Gangwoo had already spread as far as they could go.

‘No more games possible here.’

People aren’t fools. No one would play a match they were guaranteed to lose.

Moving quickly to the next floor didn’t seem like a bad option either.

‘I wonder what rank I’ll get.’

The money he’d earned on the fourth floor was 1,650,150 Gold. It looked like enough.

Ha Gangwoo lifted his head and stared straight ahead.

A massive gate engraved with ornate patterns. At a glance, it looked like the passage to the next floor.

‘There it is.’

The fourth floor was structured so you could move on without any special restrictions. Kang Seongbin, Chae Seohyun, and Lee Ayeon had likely already gone ahead.

Come to think of it, all their Traits were combat-oriented. It would be smarter to head to the next floor than waste time in a place like this.

Ha Gangwoo felt the same way.

He’d been lucky enough to earn Gold too, so he’d probably get a good rank.

‘Let’s go to the next floor.’

Having made his decision, Ha Gangwoo moved toward what looked like the entrance, browsing the Auction House as he walked.

‘I wonder what’s on the next floor.’

There might be monsters, or it might require something different, like the current floor.

Either way, he’d need at least a basic weapon.

Ding-

[Weapons]

-[Sword]

-[Sword Slash]

-[Axe]

—[Bow]—

—[Gunfire]

-[Gloves]

—[Chain]—

—[Scythe]

– [Blunt Weapon]

—[Whip]

—[Staff]

—[Orb]

-[Staff]

…

..

.

“More than I thought.”

When he opened the weapon category, a new list stretched out endlessly.

‘What should I go with…’

Ha Gangwoo rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

Maybe it was because he’d always used whatever was handed to him, but now that he had to choose for himself, it wasn’t easy to decide.

‘Stick with something I’m used to? Or try a different weapon?’

So far, he’d used three weapons in total.

Glove, Gun, and Spear.

The one he had the best memories with was the Gun. But the Gun had consumable ammunition — bullets — and it was a poor match against enemies with specific weaknesses like demons or Undead.

‘Hmm…’

In the end, Ha Gangwoo made a decision and clicked a button.

Ding-

[Sword]

-Greatsword

-Longsword

-Dagger

..

.

“What, there’s more?”

The Sword — the most popular and widely used weapon — had its own subcategories.

‘Let’s go with Longsword.’

Just as he was about to select the most straightforward option,

Ha Gangwoo lowered the Auction House window.

‘Hmph… annoying.’

It was because of the four presences he sensed nearby. He had a rough idea what this was about.

Players he’d taken Gold from. He’d known they were in a party, but four of them? He hadn’t expected that.

‘So my high Sense Stat actually does come in handy.’

Ha Gangwoo changed course naturally, veering toward a less-traveled spot.

Past the narrow alley, a small parking-lot-sized clearing opened up.

Just as he’d expected.

Footsteps—

Kim Changho emerged, a long sword resting on his shoulder—the same man he’d bled for Gold before.

Kim Changho grinned, his mouth curling as he spoke.

“Hey, got a minute for a chat?”

Sliding in behind him, three more Players followed, fanning out.

All of them carried weapons, making it clear “chat” wasn’t the real agenda. Despite that, Gangwoo kept his hands in his pockets and answered.

“Sure. Go ahead.”

Kim Changho’s eyebrow twitched.

‘This smug bastard…’

He leveled the sword at Gangwoo.

“Looks like you don’t get the situation. Keep acting cocky, and you might end up dead.”

The air around them dropped cold and heavy.

Gangwoo stroked his red ring as he replied.

“Dead… doesn’t that mean your Gold goes up in smoke too?”

Gangwoo’s smirk was met with veins bulging on Kim Changho’s forehead.

“Ha, look at this punk. There are plenty of ways to handle you.”

“Ways?”

As Gangwoo raised an eyebrow, Kim Changho’s smile turned sinister.

“Cut your belly open, pull out your guts—then force-feed you a Potion. You won’t die, but you’ll writhe in agony. Sound fun? You could still cough up the Gold and beg, and I might let you off.”

Kim Changho jerked his head toward his party members in a quick signal.

Shing—the Players flanking him drew their blades, circling around Gangwoo.

They looked ready to swing at any moment.

A chill hardened Gangwoo’s expression.

‘Annoying.’

Had he been too sloppy? This kept happening.

Kim Ducheol, whose eyes he’d gouged out—he was probably plotting revenge.

And Choi Jangbok? The moment he stepped outside, a situation like this might crop up again.

Why had it come to this?

A flash of insight lit up Gangwoo’s eyes.

‘Too soft.’

That was the reason—he’d acted too easily.

If he’d killed Kim Ducheol at the moment of his Awakening, it would’ve been clean.

And if he’d stomped Choi Jangbok flat in front of the Tower, the man wouldn’t have dared to act up.

All of this stemmed from his own complacency.

Gangwoo’s gaze sharpened like a blade.

‘I’ll stamp it out for good.’

Steeling himself, Gangwoo lowered his stance.

Then he spoke, his voice low and cold.

“This is your last warning. No matter how much you beg, I won’t stop.”

From now on, he’d make sure there were no lingering threats. That was why he’d left this minimal warning.

But the answer that came back—

“Ha! Look at this piece of shit—gets one good punch score and thinks he’s hot shit. You better pray I don’t end you later.”

A sneer.

Kim Changho had one reason for being this confident.

The man standing right in front of Ha Gangwoo.

A full-on B-Rank Trait holder: Choi Kangman.

Dumb as a rock, but his raw power was undeniable. Plus, the remaining Party members were solid too.

A debuffer to restrict movement, and a guy with recovery skills.

‘Right—I’ll just take it back by force.’

Kim Changho steeled himself, murder in his expression.

One million six hundred fifty thousand Gold—the loss had addled his mind.

Kim Changho roared.

“Get him!!”

At the signal, a low hum—the male debuffer activated his skill.

The disc-shaped light skill lashed around Ha Gangwoo, binding him.

A smirk twitched at the corner of Kim Changho’s mouth.

That bind was a skill even the B-Rank Trait holder Choi Kangman couldn’t break.

The fight was over.

That’s what he thought.

Crunch—

“Huh?”

But what the hell was this?

Crunch—

A horrid sound.

The limbs of the Party members before him were separating from their bodies.

“Ah… AHHHH!!!!”

Screams burst from the Party members in an instant, and Kim Changho stared blankly at the scene.

Ha Gangwoo tore the shoulders of Choi Kangman, the Party’s ace, apart with both hands.

First, a crunch—muscle ripped, then a thud—bone snapped.

Watching, Kim Changho began to freeze with terror.

‘I—I gotta run!!’

The moment Kim Changho, petrified, tried to stumble backward in flight.

Crack—with a ghastly sound, he slammed to the floor.

“Uh… huh?”

As he looked down at his own body, Kim Changho’s face went deathly pale.

“Ah… AAGH!!!”

Both legs had been viciously torn off.

Ha Gangwoo approached Kim Changho slowly and looked down with a murderous gaze.

“Didn’t you say they don’t die if you feed them a Potion?”

At those words, Kim Changho’s tears streamed down.

“Pl… please… spare me……”

But Ha Gangwoo’s expression didn’t change a bit.

He just

Ding-

[You have purchased Lowest-Grade HP Potion x5.]

bought the Lowest-Grade Potion.

Pop-

Ha Gangwoo twisted off the Potion cap, shoved it into Kim Changho’s mouth, and said quietly.

“Might as well learn something properly this time.”

Hearing that, Kim Changho’s face went ashen.

What the hell was he supposed to learn?