Murmurs rippled through the air.

Before the towering gate where the tournament would begin.

There stood a square ice house, radiating chill.

‘Not much time left…’

The ice house had been built by none other than Jo Seunghyun.

Seunghyun turned his head, a worried look on his face, and checked the remaining time.

[00:05:32]

Barely five minutes remained until the tournament’s start.

Forty minutes had already slipped by.

Seunghyun placed one hand on the ice wall and popped a candy into his mouth.

‘He knows what he’s doing.’

Seunghyun simply decided to clear his mind.

Meanwhile.

Inside a room walled entirely with ice, two men stood face-to-face.

“Aagh!!”

Hwang Taeseong screamed, but the sound merely echoed off the walls—not a trace leaked outside.

“Huff… huff…”

He gasped for air. A black cloth covered his eyes, and his whole body was stained red with blood.

Taeseong ground his teeth, his face twisted in rage.

‘Crazy bastard… You really think you’ll walk away from this? You’re dead the moment we get out of here.’

Overwhelming pain wracked his body, and with each surge, his thirst for revenge only grew.

‘Fuck… Just… let me die…’

But little by little, his resolve was cracking. The agony was beyond imagination—any more torture and he’d lose his mind.

Just as he was gritting his teeth like that—

*Srrrrk.* The cloth covering his eyes was pulled away.

And then—he locked eyes with that crazy bastard.

*Flinch!*

Hwang Taeseong’s skin crawled with goosebumps the moment he met Ha Gangwoo’s gaze.

‘The crazy bastard… I’d better just beg…’

It was humiliating and infuriating, but he had reached his limit.

“S-sorry… I’m sorry… Please, let me off…”

Hwang Taeseong groveled, weeping as he crawled across the floor, but Ha Gangwoo’s stare remained cold.

‘What… what is it. Was I too weak…’

Either way, even if he died now, he’d at least hit Grade B.

Hwang Taeseong made up his mind to relinquish even his own items.

“I s-surrender.”

Ding-!

[PVP has concluded.]

[Victor: Ha Gangwoo]

Shrrrk— In an instant, Hwang Taeseong was stripped down to nothing but his underwear.

“I didn’t know my place… I’m sorry…”

Just as Hwang Taeseong was begging abjectly, Ha Gangwoo finally spoke.

“You’re not easy to break, are you.”

Those words drilled into Hwang Taeseong’s whole body, sparking a sharp, jolting terror.

‘What… what is this…’

Ha Gangwoo spoke again, slow and deliberate.

“You’re going outside to get dealt with.”

Hwang Taeseong met his eyes as the words landed, then found himself dropping his gaze to the floor.

‘A—a fucking lunatic.’

That wasn’t just talk.

He was the kind of psycho who’d actually track you down and do something insane — pure and simple.

Fear crept up on Hwang Taeseong before he could stop it, and a shiver ran through his body.

Gangwoo grabbed him by the hair and locked eyes with him again.

That subtle fury in his gaze was now brimming with nothing but terror.

‘Hmm… looks like it hit home.’

If the guy hadn’t bought it, he’d have had to take him out outside — but the threat seemed to have landed just right.

‘Still, can’t be too careful. I’ll have to rough him up a bit out there.’

Shing—

Gangwoo tightened his grip on the sword and murmured low.

“See you outside.”

Thunk—

And with that, Hwang Taeseong’s head thudded against the floor.

Shhhk— In an instant, the blood-red haze around them cleared, returning to pristine order.

[You have stored the Steel Sword in your Inventory.]

The blade in Gangwoo’s hand vanished with a soft scrape.

He turned his head and rolled his shoulders, loosening up.

‘This whole thing’s a pain in the ass.’

Even if it was about cutting off future trouble, it was way too much hassle.

‘Wish I had a Brainwash skill, or something to control people…’

Gangwoo grumbled to himself as he checked the gear he’d just acquired.

‘What the— the gear quality’s actually pretty good?’

Hwang Taeseong had been wearing four pieces of equipment total.

First off, the armor was a three-piece set.

[Red Steel Top]

Grade: E

Durability: 21/25

Defense: 26

Strength: +19

Vitality: +21

Description: Armor forged from Red Steel. Excels at fire resistance.

*Set Effect (0/3)

– Fire Resistance +20.

– Fire Attack Power +10%.

[Red Steel Bottom]

Grade: E

Durability: 19/25

Defense: 22

Mana: +11

Vitality: +22

Description: Armor forged from Red Steel. Excels at fire resistance.

*Set Effect (0/3)

– Fire Resistance +20.

– Fire Attack Power +10%.

[Red Steel Boots]

Grade: E

Durability: 23/25

Defense: 20

Agility: +11

Vitality: +25

Description: Armor forged from Red Steel. Excels at fire resistance.

*Set Effect (0/3)

– Fire Resistance +20.

– Fire Attack Power +10%.

He’d gotten exactly what he needed — the bottom and boots.

And a set item, at that. Considering it was E-grade, this was easily worth over a million Gold.

“The top I’ve got on is better, though.”

The only downside was that the chainmail he was currently wearing outperformed it.

[Chainmail Top]

Grade: E

Durability: 28/40

Defense: 34 (↓8)

Strength: +19 (=)

Vitality: +31 (↓10)

Description: Heavy, but its durability and defense make up for the weight.

The Strength stat stayed the same at 19, but Defense and Vitality were about 10 points lower.

Ha Gangwoo stroked his chin, mulling it over, then reached a decision.

‘Still, better to get the set bonus.’

Losing some Defense and Vitality wasn’t a huge deal. The set effect was worth the trade-off.

He popped to his feet and stretched his back with a satisfying crack.

‘Time to test this out.’

A question had been nagging at him anyway, so he acted on it on the spot.

‘Store Chainmail.’

[‘Chainmail Top’ has been stored in Inventory.]

The moment the Activation word crossed his mind, the armor he was wearing vanished with a soft shiiick.

‘Okay, that works.’

That was the crucial part.

‘Red Steel Top.’

The instant he visualized the item in Inventory—

Shiiick—the chest piece snapped into place, hugging his frame.

‘It works.’

The Load/Store function from the Inventory upgrade. Way more useful than he’d expected.

Being able to swap equipment from Inventory at any time? That was worth using often.

Shhiiick—

In a blink, Gangwoo had changed into the full Red Steel Set.

Red Steel was a sleek-looking armor. Only one downside.

‘It’s stiff to move in.’

Unlike leather armor, it cramped his range of motion.

He swung his arms in wide circles, then checked the last item.

[Celeritra]

Grade: D

Durability: 46/55

Attack Power: 56

Strength: +42

Vitality: +32

Description: A longsword crafted from refined flame crystals. Wreathed in fire energy.

Effects

– Consumes MP to envelop the blade in flames.

“Oh?!”

A thin smile crept across Gangwoo’s face as he read the stats.

“This is an Artifact?”

And a Grade D one at that.

A D-grade Artifact was worth at least a million Gold.

‘How did I get this? Did I clear an A-rank Dungeon on Floor 3?’

Gangwoo smirked and grasped the sword.

And in that instant—Whoosh—flames rippled along the blade.

‘Feels like using Lightning God.’

The sensation was similar to channeling lightning with that proc effect.

Shiiick—the sword in his hand vanished in a flash.

“I think that’s everything.”

Gangwoo was about to step out toward the ice wall when—

Boom!!!! A thunderous blast. CRRRACK—the ice wall shattered.

Shards of ice rained down on him, but Gangwoo dodged every piece with practiced ease.

Smoke billowed from the epicenter of the explosion.

The haze thinned, revealing a shape.

‘…’

And at the heart of that blast—there it was.

‘A demon…’

The massive demon Lucifel, well over three meters tall, with Lee Ayeon perched on his shoulder.

***

[00:01:32]

In front of the building hosting the tournament.

People shuffled backward, murmuring among themselves.

“Crazy… That’s Lee Ayeon, right?”

“Isn’t that cheating… What’s up with this Tutorial batch? Nothing but freaks…”

They were terrified just looking at Lee Ayeon’s demon.

The ground where the demon landed split with a wet, screaming crack.

Watching the scene, Jo Seunghyun swallowed dryly and stared at Lee Ayeon.

‘Fuck. It’s Lee Ayeon…’

He knew they’d entered the Tower at the same time, but he never expected to run into her here.

‘So the rumors were true…’

Without realizing it, Seunghyun crunched the candy he’d tucked in his mouth—Kwah-deuk.

There was a rumor every Player-hopeful had heard at least once.

Untake. An organization researching Player deaths—or Monster deaths.

And there was a woman rumored to be the embodiment of that institution.

That woman was none other than Lee Ayeon.

Seunghyun swallowed again, staring at the demon she’d brought.

‘So the rumors were true…’

She actually tamed a real Monster? Even seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn’t believe it.

And the moment he looked at the demon, he knew immediately.

‘That’s no ordinary Monster.’

Its appearance rivaled a top-tier Boss, at least. Straight-up balance-breaking.

Seunghyun took an involuntary step back, his fists clenching tight.

‘No way… Is she entering the tournament…?’

Even with his hyung-nim’s skill, that Monster looked like a nightmare.

‘Should I try to talk hyung-nim out of it? He’d win the tournament easy, but if it’s Lee Ayeon…’

Better to just skip this round, all things considered.

Decision made, Seunghyun started to turn his gaze toward Ha Gangwoo—

—when Lee Ayeon hopped down from the demon’s shoulder. Then she trudged over toward Seunghyun.

Seunghyun felt a chill creeping up his spine as Lee Ayeon approached, her eyes crinkling in a sly smile.

“Huh?! Wh-what the hell!!”

‘Why’s she coming toward me? No way… Is she interested in me?!’

A thousand wild thoughts spun through his head, and before he knew it, Lee Ayeon was right in front of him.

“Wahhh~!”

Seunghyun threw up his arms in defense—

—and Lee Ayeon glided right past him, heading straight for Ha Gangwoo.

“Uh… Huh?”

Seunghyun tilted his head, watching. Between the demon and the tense atmosphere, her suddenly approaching his hyung-nim felt like a fight about to break out any second.

The crowd around them wore the same expression.

“What’s that? Why the vibe? Balance-breakers recognize their own kind?”

“Right, looks like she’s dealing with him before the tournament.”

But as if casually brushing aside those expectations—

“Oppa~! Fancy meeting you here again~! So~ glad to see you~~”

Lee Ayeon actually slipped her arm through Ha Gangwoo’s.

For a moment, the sudden turn left the air dead quiet.

‘No… no way!!! Is this hyung-nim’s girlfriend?!!!’

Jo Seunghyun stared at the scene, his face slack with shock.

‘Hyung-nim… as expected, a man destined for greatness.’

Lee Ayeon was pretty, sure—but the rumors about her were vicious.

That she was an artificially created human from Untake. That she was born from a special Artifact.

And he was dating a woman like that? Guess the waters he swam in really were different.

Just as Jo Seunghyun stood there gawking, lost in useless speculation—

Ha Gangwoo shoved Lee Ayeon off and said flatly,

“You said you had something urgent to handle. Did it go well?”

He’d known the moment they stepped onto the fifth floor.

Why Lee Ayeon had insisted on a strong minion. It was all for this final Tutorial.

And the second the Dungeon ended, she’d rushed off, claiming urgent business.

She’d clearly done something on the fifth floor—and he needed to probe.

Lee Ayeon crinkled her eyes in a smile, covering her mouth with her fist as she went on.

“Ah~! Yes, there’s still some left, but it’s almost done~ You even remembered that? Do you have a thing for me?”

“I don’t.”

“Ayy~ there you go with that iron wall again~”

Ignoring her, Ha Gangwoo approached the demon’s front.

Grrrr— Grrrr—

Each breath scraped like metal on metal.

But its gaze was dead.

‘Strong.’

Even with his Sense stat boosted, he couldn’t gauge the full extent of its power.

‘At that level, it’s almost as strong as when it was fighting…’

What kind of Trait was it, anyway? No risk at all? Could he win if they fought again?

Just as Ha Gangwoo was turning these thoughts over—

[00:00:00]

The timer hit zero.

Ding-ling~!

[The Tournament Begins!!!]

Fwoosh~! Bang!!! Fwoosh~! Bang!!!

Fireworks erupted.

Creeeak—

The tightly sealed building doors began to swing open.

Hssss— Dust billowed out as the doors parted.

And at the center of those doors stood Antero.

Ha Gangwoo’s expression subtly hardened at the sight.

‘The real body…?’

A presence far stronger than any Antero they’d met on the fifth floor radiated from him.

But his mannerisms were the same.

He yawned widely, same as ever, then with his usual sleepy eyes, opened his mouth.

“What’s with you all, staring like morons? Except for a few of you, everyone’s done for.”

Antero grumbled, scratching the back of his head as he spoke lowly.

“You lot who want to participate, follow me.”

With that, he spun on his heel and strode back inside the building.

Swoosh—

The first to move was Kang Seongbin, standing right beside the door.

“Haaah… haaah…”

He staggered, green energy writhing around him.

He clearly wasn’t in his right mind—had he unleashed the Demon Hand?

Ha Gangwoo watched Kang Seongbin for a moment, then moved his feet.

Right then— Jo Seunghyun’s hand clamped around Gangwoo’s wrist.

He pressed a single candy into Gangwoo’s palm.

A wide, bright grin split his face as he looked at him.

“I’ll cheer you on!!! See you outside.”

Gangwoo’s lips twitched into a smile as he tucked the candy into his pocket.

“Thanks for everything. See you out there.”

He’d learned a lot from Seunghyun.

A person who brought laughter just by being there—an unfamiliar comfort he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Gangwoo waved a hand and followed behind Antero.

“Oppa~! Let’s go together!!”

Lee Ayeon fell in behind him.

As she stepped through,

Boom!! Boom!! The demon followed at her back.

The ground shuddered with every stride.

“No fucking way!!!”

“That’s straight-up cheating…”

Just as the Players scowled at the demon—

The demon halted mid-step and turned its head.

Its blood-red pupils locked onto the Players.

‘Cra—. Crazy.’

The moment the Players locked eyes with the demon, they froze, cold sweat beading on their skin.

Creeeak—BANG!!

The door slammed shut.

With the demon’s form gone, the crowd snapped back to reality.

“Huh?! What, only three participants made it?”

“Ah!!! I should’ve just joined—they said just reaching the top eight would boost you from E-rank to D-rank…”

Everyone clutched their heads in regret, groaning.

[Tournament registration has ended.]

[The tournament will begin in 10 minutes.]

[9 minutes 59 seconds]

And just like that, the tournament registration was over.