Clang! Clang!

Over the desolate ground, the air swayed from sword wind.

Antero’s blade sliced sharply through the air.

Ha Gangwoo sharpened all his Senses and parried the sword.

Clang! A brutal roar burst forth.

‘Too fast.’

Ha Gangwoo gritted his teeth.

[Weapon Mastery][E]

Grade: A

Type: Passive

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

Ha Gangwoo’s Weapon Mastery had stalled at Grade A.

As if proving it, his sword couldn’t reach Antero. No—he didn’t even have the leeway to swing.

‘No way through, huh.’

Ha Gangwoo grimaced and focused on Antero’s movements—when

Antero’s sword, without fail, sliced fiercely through the air toward Ha Gangwoo’s neck.

Ha Gangwoo twisted his blade just in time to block.

Clang!!! A savage resonance filled the earth, and without fail, Antero’s sword strikes continued.

‘I can’t figure it out…’

No matter how much he sharpened his Senses to grasp Antero’s movements, it was impossible.

The moment he felt Antero step forward, the man veered sideways. Just as his sword seemed to swing, he closed the gap a step forward.

As if mocking Ha Gangwoo’s Sense, he wove feints into every motion.

Without pause, Antero’s relentless assault kept coming.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Unable to predict the attacks, his reactions were inevitably slow.

If his reaction speed even outpaced Antero’s, he could counter—but Antero had the edge in speed too.

There was no way through.

‘Analyze everything.’

Ha Gangwoo blocked the sharp incoming slash and sharpened his Sense.

Antero planted his right foot, settling into his stance with a solid thud.

‘Horizontal slash!’

He made the call without hesitation, tried to predict the strike. But the blade that whistled toward him came from low to high—a rising cut.

Another failed prediction.

Gangwoo scrambled to block, barely in time. Clang! Antero’s sword hammered into his own, a shrill vibration crawling up his arm.

‘Focus harder.’

Light kindled in Gangwoo’s eyes. Sense pushed to its absolute limit—it caught each twitch of Antero’s muscles, the rhythm of his breath.

Antero withdrew his sword and reset his posture in one fluid motion.

He drew the blade back, lowering his center of gravity—a clear intent to thrust.

Gangwoo carved the image into his mind and gripped his sword tighter.

‘Don’t trust what you see.’

Instead, he anchored himself to his Sense.

In the instant Antero moved to swing.

His right foot stamped the ground, and he thrust the sword forward.

Before, Gangwoo would have bought the feint. But now, something else caught his eye.

‘Horizontal slash.’

The moment his Sense, pushed to its extreme, pierced through Antero’s intent.

Ding-

[Weapon Mastery has risen by one rank!!!]

[Grade: A → Grade: S]

A system window blazed to life.

Antero’s sword arced toward Gangwoo’s shoulder.

Clang!!!

Gangwoo’s blade met Antero’s—a block born of prediction. He twisted the angle of Antero’s sword off course.

In that instant.

A brilliant light flared in Gangwoo’s eyes.

‘Now!’

Antero’s stance collapsed—a split-second opening.

Gangwoo swung into that gap.

Thwack-

His sword finally touched Antero’s flesh for the first time.

Time fractured. Their eyes met.

Antero was watching him with a faint, serene smile on his lips.

Antero’s mouth opened slowly, his voice carrying through the air.

“You’re truly remarkable, so I’ll give you a gift.”

That satisfied smile still in place.

Thwack- Gangwoo’s head rose into the air.

His face went slack—staring at his own gushing body and at Antero.

‘A real monster.’

It was laughable that he’d fooled himself into thinking the gap had closed in just four days.

That last blow held speed and sharpness that didn’t even let him register death.

And so Gangwoo’s head began its fall to the ground, pulled by gravity.

He stared at Antero through a fading gaze.

Antero spoke slowly.

“The golden ring.”

‘A… ring?’

The question flickered through Gangwoo’s mind just as his head hit the ground with a dull thump.

Pfft!!!

His vision snapped back.

***

“Hhah… hhah…”

Ha Gangwoo wiped cold sweat from his brow and touched his neck.

The neck that had been sliced cleanly through was now intact.

‘Interesting.’

Ha Gangwoo wrinkled his brow, recalling the moment his throat had been severed.

There hadn’t even been time to register death.

A sharp surge of heat, and then he’d seen his own body spurting blood.

An unforgettable sight, that moment. Even now, it rose vividly before his eyes.

He understood immediately why the Tutorial included an experience of death.

‘Dying is instantaneous, but there’s no second chance. That’s it.’

Ha Gangwoo touched his neck, sweeping a hand across it, and looked around.

Walls enclosed the room on all sides; before him loomed a massive door.

As he surveyed his surroundings, a system window popped up.

Ding~!

[You have completed the Tutorial.]

[Final rank is being measured…]

[Floor 1: SS Rank]

[Floor 2: A Rank]

…

..

.

[Player: Ha Gangwoo]

[Rank:]

“What’s this now.”

A smile spread across Ha Gangwoo’s lips as he stared at the rank.

***

Beneath a clear sky, a colossal tower radiated its majesty at that place.

A considerable crowd had gathered before the tower’s exit.

“Ah~ No C-ranks or above today… All D-ranks and below.”

“Tell me about it. I heard only three S-rank Players showed up this month—that scout must’ve hit the jackpot.”

They were none other than guild recruiters.

Most Players join a guild or the Association before entering the Tower, but there are always those who don’t.

They waited here at the exit, hoping to uncover hidden gems.

As if answering their wait, a man pushed open the Tower’s door and stepped out.

His name was Kim Daeseong. He’d just finished the Tournament.

“Ah~!!! B-Rank… If only that bastard hadn’t been my opponent…”

Kim Daeseong poured out complaints, clearly dissatisfied with B-Rank, but the smile on his face showed he was actually quite pleased.

He strode briskly toward the exit where the Association staff stood.

Since the Association handled all System management, even leaving required reporting.

With each of his steps, his armor clanked noisily.

The scouts, catching sight of him, licked their lips and paced near the exit.

“Ooh~! Look at that armor—at least an E-grade item, wouldn’t you say?”

“I wonder if he’s already in a guild. Let’s finally get some results this time!!!”

They all licked their chops, milling back and forth by the exit.

As Kim Daeseong approached the Association employee, the worker’s tired expression gave way to words.

“Please enter your name and the first digits of your resident registration number.”

The employee handed him a keypad, and Kim Daeseong, frowning, punched in the numbers.

‘Cocky bastard for an Association employee. Don’t you dare faint when you see my rank.’

Kim Daeseong grumbled about being B-Rank, but in truth, he wasn’t unhappy. A B-Rank appeared maybe once a month at most.

Once his rank was revealed, the scouts—and even the Association staff—would be floored.

Kim Daeseong finished keying in the number, a sly grin curling at the corner of his mouth as he watched the clerk.

The clerk pulled up the Player search system and ran Daeseong’s rank. The bored expression on the Association employee’s face shifted in an instant.

Ding—!

[Player: Kim Daeseong. B-Grade Player.]

The moment Daeseong’s grade blazed onto the Association’s display board.

The clerk jolted in surprise and leaned forward.

“Whoa~! B-Grade! That’s incredibly high. Do you happen to belong to any organization yet?”

The Association ran a structure similar to the guilds — they scouted high-grade Players on the side, so the offer came without hesitation.

This display board had been set up precisely to keep things fair.

Daeseong’s lips stretched into a smirk as he turned on his heel.

“I’m not joining anything like the Association. Have a good day.”

“Ah… I see… Understood. Your registration card will be ready in a week — please pick it up from the Association.”

The clerk’s brow furrowed at the arrogant tone, and Daeseong caught the look, the corner of his mouth twitching.

‘Ah! That’s the thrill — yeah, that’s how you should grovel, clerk.’

Just then — *thump* — someone tapped Daeseong on the shoulder and walked past him toward the clerk. A flashy red armor set, shabby and worn, marking the guy as D-Grade or below at a glance.

“Aish! Hey!!!”

Daeseong called out loudly to the man who’d touched his shoulder. But the moment their eyes met.

‘Uh… what the…’

A chill ran down his spine, and his hands started trembling uncontrollably.

“Is there a problem?”

The shoulder-bumping man asked with a puzzled look, but Daeseong gripped his shaking hands and muttered low.

“No, sir. Have a good day.”

He felt an inexplicable fear from that man.

Daeseong scratched the back of his head awkwardly and headed for the exit. But before he could get far, the Scouters swarmed him with a barrage of questions.

“Are you part of any guild?”

“Whoa~! B-Grade — that’s the highest we’ve seen in three days!”

“I’m Kim Daejin from Dice Guild. Do you have a moment?”

“Hold on~! I came first and waited — let’s keep proper order.”

“Look here~! There’s no order in scouting! Whoever pitches first wins!!!”

They all kept one eye on Daeseong’s reaction, buttering him up until they started bickering.

Daeseong snapped back to his senses at the flood of praise, then watched the scene unfold, a smirk spreading across his face.

‘Yeah, keep selling yourselves~!’

To stoke the competition, Daeseong muttered his specs under his breath.

“My Trait is a Tank-type. How high can you go? I’ll join whichever guild bids the most.”

Tank-type Traits commanded premium treatment. They’d be falling over themselves to snatch him up.

“This isn’t some street market… Discussing contracts here is a bit…”

One Scouter ahead hesitated for just a moment.

“Three-year contract. Signing bonus of eighty million Gold. We’ll carry you to level 80.”

“Our guild offers a three-year contract—eighty-two million Gold signing bonus. Carry to level 100. How about it?!”

The Scouters were falling over each other to pitch themselves.

Kim Daeseong watched the spectacle with a satisfied smile.

‘Weak competition. Let’s test the waters.’

Three years and eighty million Gold as a signing bonus was a decent deal, but Kim Daeseong was a greedy man. He wanted to drive his price up a little more.

“None of these interest me. Leave your cards, and I’ll reach out personally.”

He flashed a cocky grin. One Scouter stepped forward, handing over a business card.

“Three years. Signing bonus of one hundred million. Carry to max level. What do you say?”

Kim Daeseong glanced down at the card.

*[Air Guild]*

The number one guild in the country. And the offer was top-tier too.

‘Not bad at all.’

A hundred-million Gold signing bonus was extremely generous for a B-Grade. Plus a max-level carry? The conditions were incredible.

‘Let’s do it!’

Just as Kim Daeseong made up his mind and opened his mouth with a smile—

“I’d be happy to——.”

“HOLY SHIT!!!!!!”

One Scouter was pointing frantically toward the exit.

Everyone turned to look—and stood frozen in shock.

*[Player: Ha Gangwoo. L-Grade Player.]*

The second L-Grade Player since the Gaia System’s emergence stood right there before their eyes.

“Whoa—fuck! Grab him right now!!!”

“I’ll contact the guild. Forget the Gold—just lock in that contract no matter what!!!”

Scouters scrambled in a stampede toward the exit.

Kim Daeseong stood there alone, watching the scene unfold.

“What… the hell…”

All that remained was a single business card from the Air Guild.

Kim Daeseong grimaced bitterly and was about to tuck the card into his pocket when—

“Ah—! Wait a moment.”

The Scouter who’d given him the card snatched it right out of his hand.

‘…’

Kim Daeseong just stared blankly as it happened.

***

“Three-year contract. Signing bonus of one billion Gold. Max-level carry! How about it??”

“Three years?! We’re offering a one-year contract. Signing bonus of one billion Gold. Sound good??”

A dozen Scouters crowded around Ha Gangwoo, scrambling to lay out their offers.

Ha Gangwoo stepped backward as they pressed in.

‘What the hell, why are they like this all of a sudden? Is it always like this?’

He appreciated the offers, but he didn’t have time to join a guild right now.

“Two-year contract. Signing bonus of five billion Gold!!!”

Just then, a man bellowed over the crowd.

The overwhelming signing bonus silenced the other Scouters instantly.

Ha Gangwoo looked at the man with keen interest.

‘Five billion Gold?’

The staggering sum made Ha Gangwoo’s gaze snap toward the scout.

‘Fifty billion Gold… that’s five hundred billion won. Is he insane?’

An L-Grade, beyond anything he’d imagined. Going for the higher rank had clearly been the right call.

A smile tugged at Gangwoo’s lips as he slowly opened his mouth.

“I’ll think about it.”

With those words, he faded from sight with a soft — shuk.

The scouts flinched, eyes darting wildly as Gangwoo vanished before them.

“Wha— what the hell?”

“A Stealth skill? Right after the Tutorial? How is that even possible?”

They strained to find him, but none could.

***

Gangwoo walked the streets, lost in thought.

‘First thing’s first — I need cash.’

He still wore the clothes he’d had on entering the Tower. Somehow, his old outfit had stayed under the armor.

At least it let him move without drawing eyes.

‘Will the bank exchange this?’

He had 45 million Gold — plenty for now.

That was why he’d put off joining a guild.

There were still things to settle. And Antero’s last words lingered in his mind.

‘The Golden Ring.’

That phrase brought only one player to mind.

‘I’ll have to find him.’

Gangwoo kept walking, lost in thought, until a realization hit.

‘…’

He’d instinctively drifted toward his old home.

‘Guess I need a new place.’

The house had been government-provided. A different residence was in order.

Then, his expression turned cold.

‘Well, looks like they found me on their own.’

Gangwoo shut his eyes, a sinister smile curling on his lips.

***

“Hyung-nim. I found him.”

Park Donggu, tailing Gangwoo, whispered into his phone.

-Don’t you dare lose him! I’m on my way now!!!

The shout blasted through the receiver, but Donggu was grinning ear to ear.

“Got it.”

No way he was letting Gangwoo slip away.

‘Today, I’m gonna teach this bastard a lesson.’

His hyung had already hired a Player. All Donggu had to do was keep the tail.

‘That punk-ass sucker — dared to mess with me?!’

Donggu rubbed his arm, still aching where Gangwoo had snapped it, and scowled.

That was when it happened.

With a soft shuuk, Gangwoo vanished from his sight.

“Wha— what the…”

Donggu spun around, dazed, but there was no one.

‘What? That skill, or whatever? No way… that means…’

As if answering his dread—

Sreung—

A razor-sharp blade pressed against Donggu’s throat.

“Eeeek!”

In that moment of terror, as a grotesque squeak escaped him—

A chilling voice whispered in his ear.

“Long time no see.”

And so, Ha Gangwoo’s cleanup began.