“Whoa~!”

Jo Seunghyun’s jaw went so slack that a candy dropped from his open mouth with a plink.

“What was that? That swing, it was crazy! For a second there, I thought the sword disappeared. That’s sick~!”

Jo Seunghyun fussed excitedly. And the gazes of the people around them also converged on Ha Gangwoo.

“What the…? Look at that cut surface…”

“That’s insane, I’ve never seen a cut that clean… I thought he was all brawn, but the guy can actually use a sword.”

“Ah~! Why can’t *I* do it!!”

Whack!!

Seeing the clean cut Ha Gangwoo had made, everyone else burned with fervor and started pounding their jellies again.

Ignoring them, Ha Gangwoo picked up the Catalog from the center of the jelly.

[Basic Swordsmanship Catalog][E]

Grade: F

Description: A catalog containing the basics of swordsmanship.

A white background with a shimmering checkered pattern. A sword emblem was drawn on its front.

‘So these exist too.’

Learning the basics of swordsmanship. It made him feel just how broken Skills could be, all over again.

Did this mean he was worthy of learning it just because he could cut a jelly with a wooden sword?

As Ha Gangwoo was lost in thought, looking at the Catalog, Jo Seunghyun peeked over and opened his mouth.

“I learned that one too, you know. They say that Catalog only drops in the Tutorial, and you can’t sell it, so it’s better to just learn it~!”

“I see.”

It had nothing besides the [E] mark, but it must be a special Catalog.

Ha Gangwoo looked at Jo Seunghyun, who was chattering excitedly. His good-natured personality was likeable, and now that he thought about it, he knew a lot of stuff too.

‘He’s useful.’

Ha Gangwoo cracked a small smile and immediately used the Catalog.

Ding-

[Basic Swordsmanship][E]

Grade: F

Type: Passive

Effect: The fundamentals of swordsmanship are inscribed into your body. (The rank increases as you hone your skill.)

“A skill that grows?”

The description was vague, but the *goodness* of it was unmistakable.

*Did I just learn swordplay?*

Ha Gangwoo lifted the sword and gave it a swing.

Nothing about it felt more refined than before he’d learned it.

*Hmm…*

Right as Ha Gangwoo was starting to doubt the skill—

Jo Seunghyun’s fists clenched. Fire blazed in his eyes.

“No time to be standing around~! I gotta go take the second test!!”

He pulled a sword from his Inventory, then walked over to Antero, who stood there blank-faced.

Ha Gangwoo gripped his wooden sword tighter, watching with an intrigued expression.

*Second test.*

He’d passed the first. That meant he had another test coming too.

Watching Seunghyun take his might not be a bad way to scope it out.

Jo Seunghyun stopped before Antero, tightened his grip on the sword, and opened his mouth.

“I’m here for the retake~!”

Antero dug a finger into his ear like it was all a bother, then let out a long, drawling yawn.

Then, the moment he reached out his hand, *shrrk* — a green wooden sword, a Green Branch, appeared in his palm.

And in a low murmur, he said:

“Come at me.”

So the test was fighting Antero directly? Or was he actually teaching them?

Ha Gangwoo stroked his chin, curiosity gleaming on his face.

At those words, Jo Seunghyun dropped his stance and charged in.

Ha Gangwoo’s pupils contracted. In the slow-motion world, he felt the two figures’ movements and spread his Sense wide.

*Hmm… Weak.*

Back on the third floor, he’d thought Seunghyun was decent. But now, he felt overwhelmingly weak.

*…*

But something else stood out even more.

*What the hell…*

It was Antero’s energy. So faint it felt even weaker than Seunghyun.

And yet, the fight’s flow was the exact opposite.

*Whoosh—*

When Seunghyun swung his sword, Antero dodged with nearly closed eyes — *swish, swish* — unhurried.

Then, *whoosh* — the wooden sword Antero swung lightly carved into Seunghyun’s flesh with a clean *shlick*.

Ha Gangwoo spread his Sense to its utmost, trying to grasp the situation.

*Whoosh—*

Seunghyun swung again.

Watching, Ha Gangwoo thought:

*My Sense wasn’t wrong.*

The measure of strength his Sense conveyed wasn’t off.

Seunghyun was faster than Antero. His blade cut through the air with sharper speed.

Yet Antero dodged the sword with ease and swung back.

It was slower than Seunghyun’s sword. And yet, somehow—

*Keen.*

Sharper and keener than any blow he’d ever seen.

Ha Gangwoo found his fists clenching as he watched the fight unfold.

***

“Haah… haah… Ah—I give up…”

Jo Seunghyun sprawled flat on the floor, gasping for air.

Antero yawned wide and dropped the wooden sword to the ground.

“I’ll wait. Come back if you want another round.”

A bead of sweat rolled off Ha Gangwoo’s jaw as he watched.

A slow grin spread across his face.

‘Interesting.’

Antero’s limits were invisible—as if mocking the very Sense stat Gangwoo had trusted all this time.

‘So this is what skill beyond raw power looks like.’

The Sense stat measured things the System told you—levels, Mana, quantifiable force.

But what Antero had just shown was pure technique. Swordplay itself.

‘I want to learn it.’

Ha Gangwoo’s fist tightened again, interest sparking in his chest.

‘Let’s just try it.’

He picked up a wooden sword and walked over to Antero, the one who had set him the test.

Antero was slumped in a corner, leaning against the wall, dozing off.

‘…’

The admiration and awe he’d felt a second ago evaporated. The man gave him a test and couldn’t even be bothered to watch—he’d rather catch a nap.

Ha Gangwoo tapped the floor with his sword. Antero’s eyes fluttered open, and he let out another huge yawn.

“Oh, interesting. You already took ’em down?”

“Yes. What’s the second test?”

“What’re you asking? You just saw it.”

Antero reached out a hand, and a Green Wooden Sword materialized into his grip.

The corner of Ha Gangwoo’s mouth lifted.

‘What an odd guy.’

Antero carried the Green Wooden Sword and stepped into the open space, yawning again with half-lidded eyes.

“The second test is simple.”

Ha Gangwoo stood before him, sword in hand.

‘Do I have to beat him? Or get his recognition?’

Judging from Jo Seunghyun’s match, he’d figured it had to be one of the two.

But as if mocking his assumption, Antero spoke slowly.

And the content of the test was more shocking than he’d expected.

“Kill me with the sword. Then you pass.”

The second test was to kill the man standing in front of him.

***

The potion cap popped open.

Pop!

Jo Seunghyun slumped to the floor and downed the potion in one long gulp.

[You have recovered 100 HP.]

“Phew…”

He looked over at Ha Gangwoo, who stood before Antero with his sword raised.

A bitter smile touched his lips.

‘He’s probably never held a real sword before…’

That’s what he’d thought, before Gangwoo cut through those jellies.

‘A total rookie.’

A complete beginner who’d picked up a sword for the first time today. And yet—when Gangwoo asked to see him cut, he’d sliced through the jelly in one clean stroke.

He had spent years honing his swordsmanship for this day, swinging hundreds of times upon arriving here, finally achieving that one successful cut.

Unconsciously, Jo Seunghyun’s fist clenched tight.

‘Is that what talent looks like?’

A realm no amount of effort could reach. He felt it now.

‘Surely he won’t clear the second trial outright…’

The second trial was no easy feat even for those who had dreamed of becoming Hunters and trained since childhood.

And yet, why was it—

‘I have a feeling he’ll pass.’

For some reason, he felt certain Ha Gangwoo would pass the second trial too.

People began gathering beside Jo Seunghyun, one by one.

“I need to clear my head for a moment.”

“How can he cut through the jelly the moment he walks in? He’s not actually going to pass the second trial, is he?”

Jo Seunghyun wasn’t the only one curious about Ha Gangwoo’s test.

Everyone who had seen the Seismic Stomp’s explosion and the jelly cutting was dying to know what Ha Gangwoo’s second trial would look like.

***

Antero rested the wooden sword on his shoulder and opened his mouth.

“The rule is simple. The only weapon allowed is a sword.”

With that, he raised his sword in one hand and pointed it at Ha Gangwoo.

Ha Gangwoo curled the corners of his mouth at Antero’s words, staring back at him.

‘So it’s no rules at all.’

The rule was so simple it might as well not exist. It meant anything was fair game as long as the weapon was a sword.

Ha Gangwoo first tossed aside the Green Wooden Sword in his hand.

Then he spread his palm and called forth an image.

‘Steel Sword.’

The Steel Sword materialized, sticking to his hand as if magnetized.

“Oh~! What’s that? A weapon creation skill?”

“Doesn’t look like it? What is it, pulling out an item without even opening the Inventory?”

The onlookers watching the scene tilted their heads in curiosity.

Ha Gangwoo held the Steel Sword and lowered his stance.

‘So Kang Seongbin passed on the first try, huh.’

Ha Gangwoo clicked his tongue—then burst forward in a dash.

In an instant, Ha Gangwoo was within arm’s reach of Antero.

He grabbed the sword with both hands and raised it high.

A creaking sound escaped his grip as strength poured into his hands around the hilt.

Thud!! He shifted his weight onto one leg and brought the sword crashing down.

Recalling the sensation of cleaving the jelly.

The sword sliced through the air, screaming a savage wail.

Slash—the blade rent space itself, and a sword wind erupted.

‘Is this, swordsmanship?’

Was it because he had learned Basic Swordsmanship? Just by swinging it, a sword wind had sprung to life.

Crack—

The sword wind thinly gouged the floor.

Something impossible before learning Basic Swordsmanship had now become reality.

But the sword didn’t touch Antero.

Antero only grinned with his half-lidded eyes, a sly smile curling his lips.

“Oh~! Faster than I thought.”

Ha Gangwoo furrowed his brow slightly and readjusted his grip on the sword.

‘How did he dodge that?’

At best, Antero’s level felt like it barely touched 10.

Yet he had reacted to an attack speed backed by 84 Agility.

*Experience? Raw power? Maybe a skill?*

A dozen questions surfaced, but they were just meaningless noise.

Ha Gangwoo stepped forward with his right foot and dropped his stance.

[Swift Movements] [ON]

[Increases movement speed by 50%.]

A pale blue glow rippled around both his feet,

[Attack Stance has been activated.]

[Your next attack deals double damage.]

and a red aura surged across his entire body.

*Going all-out.*

Pat—

And so Ha Gangwoo’s test began.

***

Whoosh— Slash—

Every swing of Ha Gangwoo’s blade sent wind pressure screaming through the air. The sight of those invisible edges shaving thin gashes into the floor drew genuine awe from the crowd.

“Whoa~! How much Strength do you need to make sword wind like that?”

“Strength alone won’t do it. His technique’s solid too.”

Everyone had fallen into admiration watching Ha Gangwoo’s relentless assault, and Jo Seunghyun stood with his jaw hanging open, eyes locked on the spectacle.

“That’s honestly insane…”

Kang Seongbin had barely won against Antero using his Trait. But this man was pushing him that far with nothing but raw stats and blade work—it was astonishing.

Then it happened.

Whisk— Slash—

Ha Gangwoo’s sword clipped the hem of Antero’s coat.

“What?! He actually cut Antero?”

“Who the hell is that guy? Why’s he so fast? Is that an S-Rank Trait?”

Just as everyone began wondering about the man called Ha Gangwoo—

Ding—

A system window materialized in front of him.

[The rank of Basic Swordsmanship has increased by one level!!!]

[Rank: F → Rank: E]

Basic Swordsmanship had leveled up.

The corner of Ha Gangwoo’s mouth curled upward.

*What the hell is this.*

He hadn’t felt it at first, the moment he first learned Basic Swordsmanship.

*Am I even improving? Is my swordsmanship actually getting better?*

Back then, doubt was all he had, and his blade never touched Antero.

But not now.

Slash— Slash—

With every sweep of the sword, he began shaving thin strips from Antero’s clothes—and grazing his skin.

*Interesting.*

Grinning, Ha Gangwoo swung his sword again.

Whiiing— Clang!!

Whiiing— Clang!!

Maybe ten minutes passed.

[The rank of Basic Swordsmanship has increased by one level!!!]

[Rank: E → Rank: D]

The instant Basic Swordsmanship’s rank rose—

Ha Gangwoo’s blade traced a blinding arc through the air and *slashed* clean into Antero’s body.

Thud— Antero’s severed head hit the floor.

Ding~!

[You have defeated Antero’s Illusion.]

[You acquire 2,000 EXP!!]

[Perk bonus: You have gained an additional 2,000 EXP.]

[Your level has increased!!!]

[You have passed the Second Test.]

And so the Second Test came to an end.

***

The crowd that had been watching Ha Gangwoo gaped wide-eyed, then wiped cold sweat from their brows.

“Did he just—actually pass the test?”

“Fine, call Kang Seongbin a born freak—but what the hell is that guy?”

“Looks like we’re really sitting this tournament out.”

Everyone stood slack-jawed, trying to wrap their heads around what they’d just witnessed.

And small wonder—these were people who’d sharpened their blades dreaming of becoming Players.

Which meant they understood better than anyone just how insane Ha Gangwoo’s achievement was.

Jo Seunghyun felt it too.

*Is that even possible?*

He’d nursed a vague hope, but now that it had actually happened, it didn’t feel real.

A guy who’d just picked up a sword today defeated Antero—a weapon master—with swordsmanship.

Sure, it was built on overwhelming stats, but those stats came from his Trait.

*I’m jealous.*

He hadn’t even been this jealous watching Kang Seongbin. That guy just felt like he was from another world. But watching this one, the envy for his ability burned hot.

*What kind of Trait does he have?*

Jo Seunghyun was licking his lips, eyes fixed on Ha Gangwoo, when—

One of the multiple Anteros stepped forward from the group and walked up to Gangwoo.

“Impressive. Guess the seedling really does show early.”

Antero crossed his arms, those hollow eyes fixed on Gangwoo as he continued.

“You passed the test. Here’s your reward.”

*Snap!* He flicked his fingers.

Ding-!

([House of Training – Sword][Sub] Quest complete.)

[Reward: Basic Swordsmanship rank increased by one level!!!]

[Rank: D → Rank: C]

The corner of Ha Gangwoo’s mouth lifted.

*No way.*

He hadn’t realized it at first with Basic Swordsmanship, but after repeated battles, it became clear.

The reason Antero had been strong despite being weaker than Jo Seunghyun.

It had to be the high-level swordsmanship.

*Basic Swordsmanship [E]—didn’t they say it only drops in Main Scenarios?*

A subtle smile crept across Gangwoo’s face.

*I want more.*

Gangwoo walked straight out of the training hall.

***

([House of Training – Spear][Sub] Quest complete.)

([House of Training – Whip][Sub] Quest complete.)

([House of Training – Shield][Sub] Quest complete.)

([House of Training – Orb][Sub] Quest complete.)

…..

..

.

In the time that remained, Ha Gangwoo went through every single House of Training room and took down Antero.

[Basic Spearmanship][E]

Rank: C

Type: Passive

Effect: The basics of spearmanship are engraved into your body. (Rank increases the more you hone your skill.)

[Basic Shieldcraft][E]

Rank: C

Type: Passive

Effect: The basics of shieldcraft are engraved into your body. (Rank increases the more you hone your skill.)

[Basic Whipmanship][E]

Rank: C

Type: Passive

Effect: The basics of whipmanship are engraved into your body. (Rank increases the more you hone your skill.)

……

….

..

.

But it hadn’t been easy.

The stage 1 test in the Whip training room, especially, was brutal.

It told him to break a boulder with a single weird rubber band.

Luckily, Extreme Strike Stance had procced, letting him shatter it cleanly, but that was still the trickiest one.

Ha Gangwoo rolled his neck, loosening his body.

Only the [House of Training — Glove] remained.

Slipping on the glove—a thing like cotton candy—he rotated his shoulder.

“Let’s begin.”

Antero answered with a knowing smile.

“Come at me.”

There were others watching that scene, expressions bright with anticipation.

“Whoa~! That’s insane. First time I’ve ever seen someone trying to clear all the dojos here.”

Over two hundred Players had packed into the [House of Training — Glove] testing ground to watch Ha Gangwoo.

“Ah~! What the hell! Why’s everyone swarming in here making such a racket~!”

The people who’d originally been in [House of Training — Glove] could only stare, bewildered.

“Fuck, who the hell does that bastard think he is, causing this shitstorm?”

Of course, the ones stuck in the very last slot—[House of Training — Glove]—had every right to be pissed.

But their irritation quickly gave way to shock.

A violet light rippled across the man’s body as he charged Antero—

*CLANG!!!!* —a colossal shockwave filled the training hall.

The rock-hard floor shrieked and *CRACKED* apart, bursting in agony.

Then—

*WHAM!!!!* —with a thunderous impact, Antero’s head rolled across the ground.

“Wh-what the fuck!!!”

“What was that… that’s Antero’s head that just fell off, right…”

In an instant, the irritation of everyone in [House of Training — Glove] turned to awe, and Ha Gangwoo’s dojo sweep was over.

As always, one Antero approached him. But this time, the atmosphere was different.

“First time I’ve met such a greedy bastard, too.”

Antero scratched the back of his head with hollow eyes. Then—*grin* —a smile spread across his face.

“I like greedy bastards.”

*Snap!* —he flicked his fingers as usual.

Ding-

[You have met the conditions for a Hidden quest.]

[Antero’s True Teaching][Hidden]

Rank: ???

Description: You have earned Antero’s recognition at every House of Training. You will be granted a special skill.

Reward: [Weapon Mastery]

[You have learned Weapon Mastery.]

([Basic Spearmanship][E] has been deleted.)

([Basic Swordsmanship][E] has been deleted.)

([Basic Shieldcraft][E] has been deleted.)

([Basic Whipmanship][E] has been deleted.)

…

..

.

[Weapon Mastery][E]

Grade: F

Type: Passive

Effect: Allows proficient handling of all weapons. (Grade increases as skill is honed.)

Every technique he’d learned was erased, replaced by a single Mastery.

A grin crept across Ha Gangwoo’s face.

“What’s this now?”

He’d earned a reward he never expected.