Boom!!! With a thunderous blast.

Everyone inside the bus was hurled into the air.

‘What the hell?’

Ha Gangwoo steadied himself, sharpening his Sense.

In an instant, his pupils contracted, and the moment slowed.

The bus was crushed inward. Shards of glass rained down over his entire body.

Broken fragments and twisted metal jabbed at his skin, but with a Vitality of 72, his flesh remained unscathed.

‘Time to get out.’

Decision made, Ha Gangwoo leveraged his heightened Sense and slipped out through the shattered window.

Maybe it was the bus’s momentum, because the moment he hit the ground—

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa—his legs tore across the earth in a thunderous sprint.

But he landed with absolute balance, lifting his head to stare straight ahead.

Easily over ten meters tall, a body forged entirely from stone.

A massive Golem stood planted in the middle of the road.

THUD!

The Golem trudged toward the overturned bus. One step alone shook the ground, the sheer weight of it rattling the asphalt.

“A Monster?”

As if answering Ha Gangwoo’s question, a massive Gate loomed behind the Golem.

‘Blue and fading—a Gate in the process of collapsing. An emission-type? And just one Monster. A Boss-type.’

In a single breath, Ha Gangwoo pieced together the situation.

The Gaia knowledge he’d lacked before had piled up decently by now. That made everything click.

Emission-type Gates spit out a Monster and disappear. According to known intel, they’re one of the most destructive Gate types out there.

He was lucky — the place was an empty outskirts far from the city. A simple report, and it would’ve all been over without a hitch.

‘Finally, I can level up.’

But Ha Gangwoo had no intention of reporting anything.

The monster in front of him was nothing more than walking EXP.

‘Let’s go.’

He reached out his hand. Celeritra slid into his grip with a satisfying click.

Gangwoo licked his lips and started walking toward the Golem, then stopped.

The reason was simple.

‘I don’t want to draw attention in this look.’

His current appearance was just a Costume — swapped for aesthetics. He didn’t want to stand out like he did in his real form.

‘Let’s switch back first.’

With the decision made, Gangwoo stored his clothes in the Inventory.

[You have stored the Black Hoodie in your Inventory.]

In an instant, the black hoodie dissolved, and his original red steel armor re-emerged.

His pants and face followed — everything snapped back to its original state in seconds.

“Let’s move.”

Ha Gangwoo smacked his lips and started walking toward the Golem.

Meanwhile—

“What… the hell?!”

About a dozen Players crawled out of the wrecked bus.

Every single one of them was an awakened superhuman.

Hardly anyone was hurt from something as routine as a bus crash.

But—

“Is there a Healer here? The driver is injured!”

It wasn’t the bus driver.

Luckily, there seemed to be a Player with a recovery skill, because someone rushed over to the driver.

“Let me take a look.”

A woman with a Healing Trait began checking the driver’s condition.

Aside from a shattered collarbone from the seatbelt, there were no major injuries.

‘My trait alone is enough.’

Having made her assessment, the woman started using her skill.

But as if mocking that relief—

*Boom!!!*

The ground shook violently.

And from the epicenter of that impact, a massive Monster was walking toward them.

People grimaced and swallowed dryly.

“Holy shit!! That’s a Golem!”

“Whoa! We haven’t even entered the Scenario yet, and it’s already for real.”

Every Player in this square was a fresh newbie. But the monster in front of them was not.

“A Stone Golem… that’s at least D-Grade.”

D-Grade monsters were known to be a proper fight for Players in their 50s.

Fear rippled through the group. They started backing away.

But then a man stepped forward.

“Everyone, pull yourselves together!”

It was Lee Taewoo—never one to pass up a chance to take the lead.

Taewoo looked over the rattled Players and pressed on, his tone turning serious.

“After all, isn’t this what being a Player is about? We just need to buy time and make sure it doesn’t slip into the civilian area.”

True to his boastful nature, Taewoo had a way with words.

His speech did its work. The newbie Players clenched their fists and hardened their expressions.

‘Good.’

Taewoo suppressed the grin threatening to lift his lips, then turned around.

“Let’s move. Min Seona, you report to the Association.”

“Yes, Oppa!”

Quick thinking in a pinch—not bad. Maybe that was why nine Players fell in behind him.

They all looked nervous, but they were Players who had experienced Gates through Association training — people with something reliable behind them.

Lee Taewoo walked at the front, a smug grin curling at his lips.

‘Perfect. Hit the jackpot.’

The reason for Lee Taewoo’s delight was simple enough.

A Gate incident where the carry got overturned. A rookie Player appearing right there.

Wasn’t that just prime news material?

On top of that, if word got out he’d taken the lead in the Raid, fame would come overnight.

‘If I play this right, I could jump to a big guild next year.’

Lee Taewoo licked his lips, savoring the happy fantasy.

His biggest obstacle was his Player rank.

If this job went smoothly, he could be judged on skill alone, rank be damned.

‘But how, though.’

He’d talked a big game, but the truth was, he was rattled.

And just as Lee Taewoo sank into thought—

*Thud!* A colossal Golem had arrived right in front of him without warning.

A body nearly the size of a five-story building. Up close, its sheer scale was overwhelming.

The sight of the Golem was enough to send four Players stumbling backward.

Their legs gave out from sheer terror. True to expectation.

“Aaagh!!! How are we supposed to catch something like that!”

The four men fled without even looking back.

The people here knew all too well what happened when you overstepped your bounds.

But not everyone was like that.

“Oppa, what do we do?”

A party member who trusted Lee Taewoo asked him.

“Well…”

Just as Lee Taewoo was about to speak—

The ground rumbled. A massive Golem’s foot slammed toward them in a sudden strike.

“Scatter!”

Lee Taewoo shouted at the top of his lungs and broke into a run.

At his command, some of the Players started running too.

But a few others froze in place, rooted to the spot.

“W-what… what is this.”

“O-oppa… wait a moment…”

He could only stand there, mouth hanging open, watching the golem’s foot descend. His body had locked up with fear.

Lee Taewoo clicked his tongue as he scrambled away.

‘Fucking morons. No wonder their ranks are shit.’

Taewoo, who’d always had a complex about his own grade, was ironically judging people by theirs.

He’d broken out of the golem’s range in an instant. Now he flopped gracelessly onto the ground and craned his neck to look back.

*Kugugugugu.* The colossal golem’s foot plummeted toward the ground, aiming to crush the three players beneath it.

‘Shit. We’re fucked.’

If this kept up, those three players would be dead in an instant. And they’d probably pin the blame on him, the one who’d led the Raid.

His face twisted as he stared at the golem’s foot hammering down.

His eyes met the party member’s gaze from under that foot — a look full of resentment. And then.

Boom!!!!!

A deafening explosion erupted from the golem’s shin.

At the same time, *kriiiik* — the golem’s leg twisted in a grotesque direction.

Like a pendulum swinging, the golem’s body folded.

*Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwa* — the golem tore through the earth as it collapsed.

A colossal dust storm whipped up in the wake of the impact.

“What… the hell!”

Taewoo swatted at the dust, scowling. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the fallen golem.

*Psssss.* The haze of dust settled, and a man’s silhouette emerged.

Right in front of the toppled giant. A figure in red armor. A grinning skull mask covering the lower half of his face.

“Huh?! That’s…”

Lee Taewoo recognized that figure.

“An L-Grade Player?!”

The man of the rumors — Ha Gangwoo. It was him.

“What… the hell? Did that guy save us? That skull mask…”

“An L-Grade Player! Ha Gangwoo!!!”

The players, frozen in mortal terror.

They recognized Ha Gangwoo at a single glance too.

“No way… he took down that giant monster…”

To bring down a monster the size of a five-story building with sheer strength alone.

Everyone was staring at the scene not with the fear of death, but with longing — *Could I ever become like that?*

Everyone here was a Player with superhuman abilities.

If you just raised your level high enough, even a D-Grade Player could wield that kind of power.

So they dreamed.

Just as the Players’ eyes were glinting with that hope.

*Kriiiik-*

The massive golem moved its ponderous hand, as if trying to rise.

The glint in the Players’ eyes dimmed, their expressions souring.

“Why’s he just standing there… He should finish it off before it gets up…”

“He’s got to have a plan… or maybe he blew all his power on that one hit…”

A wave of unease rippled through the crowd.

No matter how you sliced it, an L-Grade Player or not, he was still a rookie fresh out of the Tutorial. Not so different from them, really.

Which meant, if that man fell, they were next.

As the Golem stirred back to life, the onlookers snapped back to reality and began to backpedal.

But just then, a sword materialized into Ha Gangwoo’s hand, as if drawn by a vacuum.

“A sword? What’s he gonna do with a sword against a Golem…”

“Wait, did he not have a weapon? Then what was that impact just now?”

Everyone questioned the sword Ha Gangwoo now held.

Rookie or not, they weren’t short on knowledge.

Everyone knew that a blade was the worst possible matchup against a monster as hard-shelled as a Golem.

But as if to mock their concern—

*Whoosh*—the sword traced a clean arc through the air, and at that instant—

*Shiiing*—the Golem’s right arm was severed clean off.

Watching the scene, the players rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

“No… no way!! That rock just got cut with a single slash?”

“F-fuckin’ awesome…”

Jaws dropped as they couldn’t tear their eyes away from the carnage.

Meanwhile—

[Durability decreased by 10.]

Ha Gangwoo’s face scrunched up.

“Guess swords really are useless against Golems.”

He hadn’t swung it for the hell of it—he was testing the new skill he’d learned.

[Extreme Strike]

Grade: D

Type: Passive

Effect: When swinging a sword, has a 3.5% (3↑%) chance to trigger a Razor-Sharp Slash.

It was the skill from the Catalog Seo Hyorin had given him.

When that 3.5% chance hit, luck on his side—

The Golem’s arm, thick as a truck, fell away like a slab of tofu.

‘The skill’s nice and all, but…’

[Celeritra]

Grade: D

Durability: 16/55

Attack Power: 56

Strength: +42

Vitality: +32

Description: A longsword crafted from refined flame crystals. Infused with the energy of fire.

Effects

– Consumes MP to sheathe the blade in flames.

That single swing had turned Celeritra’s durability into rags.

‘Looks like I’ll need to get some gear repaired.’

Ha Gangwoo clicked his tongue in regret, then slipped Celeritra back into his Inventory.

“Let’s just end this.”

Making up his mind, he climbed onto the fallen Golem’s chest and steadied his breathing.

*Ding-*

[You have received the effect of Extreme Strike Stance.]

[Your next attack will carry 10x destructive power.]

A violet radiance flooded his entire body—

[You have used Demonization.]

[All Stats increased by 100%.]

—and in that instant, a crimson blaze ignited from Lucifel’s Ring.

‘Seismic Stomp.’

*CRACK!!!!*

A thunderous explosion ripped through the air.

[You have defeated a powerful Stone Golem.]

[You gain 12,600 EXP!!]

[You gain an additional 12,600 EXP from the Perk effect.]

[You gain 400,000 Gold.]

[Level Up!!!]

The Golem let out a dying scream and burst apart.

***

About ten minutes later.

“What the hell? Did someone kill it? Who?”

An Association Player on scene stared at the spot where the Golem had shrieked its last, brow furrowed.

“What kind of skill leaves destruction like that…”

A massive crack split the Golem’s chest — like it had taken a meteor strike.

“You’d need at least 300 Strength to leave a mark like that…”

The dispatched Player scratched the back of his head, then headed over to where the reporters had gathered.

No casualties, by the look of things. This Gate seemed handled. Still, he needed to know exactly what happened.

“So what the hell went down here? No injuries – lucky – but I don’t see the person who took it out.”

At the Player’s question, everyone broke into excited grins, fists clenched.

“You know that new L-Grade Player who just showed up? Ha Gangwoo! He appeared out of nowhere and flattened the Golem in one hit!”

“Mr. Ha?”

The staffer knew the name too.

Korea’s second L-Grade Player. And he’d just joined the Association — not knowing him would be weirder.

Still, this was beyond anything he’d imagined.

‘That was a D-grade Boss Monster…’

The creature still groaning its last was a Boss he couldn’t have taken solo.

“I see… and where’s Mr. Ha now?”

“After he killed the monster, he just vanished!”

“Vanished?”

The staffer scratched his cheek, bewildered.

“All that matters is someone handled it, but… damn impressive.”

Normally, you wouldn’t hide a kill like that.

A monster like this alone would count toward his quota.

And a rookie Player one-shotting a D-grade monster? That was headline material.

‘Well, L-Grade probably speaks for itself.’

Looking at it now, he doubted it’d blow up any bigger than it already was. And he had the report he needed.

“Understood. Please wait a moment — the cleanup team will arrive shortly. You can take the carry bus with them; it’ll get you safely to Scenario 1.”

The staffer explained politely, then left.

Meanwhile.

“Oppa! How could you just abandon people like that? If Gangwoo hadn’t been there, I would’ve died!!!”

“I’m… I’m sorry.”

“Hey! You talk all big and then bolt alone? That’s too much! If that L-Grade Player hadn’t shown up…”

“S-sorry.”

Lee Taewoo got an earful from the Players he’d nearly gotten killed.

His reputation hit rock bottom. Ha Gangwoo’s soared.

***

“Wasn’t that just the coolest thing ever? I’m honestly thinking of switching to a sword!”

“Yeah, that was badass. Whatever skill he used on top of that last Golem — that flash of light? I almost lost it.”

The bus was a riot of noise.

The sense of having nearly died had evaporated, replaced by a clamor of talk about Ha Gangwoo.

‘As expected, the Costume’s really paying off.’

And right there among them sat Ha Gangwoo himself—faceless, transformed.

Normally, some excitable Player from that chattering crowd would’ve slid into the seat beside him by now, pestering him with questions.

But nothing of the sort happened. He was riding in peace, unbothered.

Ha Gangwoo checked his rewards from this run.

Level: 33→34 (1↑)

Vitality: 72 → 74 (2↑)

Mana: 60 → 65 (5↑)

Yet disappointment settled onto his face.

‘When will I unlock it?’

Because the EXP he’d gotten off that Golem was far too stingy.

His reason for wanting to level up was simple.

[Demonization]

Grade: ???

Description: A core that generates Demonic energy is created within your body. Allows the user to wield the power of the Demonfolk.

Effects

-All Status increases by 100%.

-Can recover lost physical matter. (Consumes a large amount of HP.)

-Madness dominates your mind.

-Grants the effects of the Demon Eye.

-[Unlocks at LV.50.]

-[Unlocks at LV.75.]

-[Unlocks at LV.100.]

-[Unlocks at LV.150.]

A flicker of curiosity—what effect would unlock at Level 50? And honestly, he just wanted to fight Seo Hyorin again.

‘Maybe wings’ll sprout out of me when it unlocks.’

Ha Gangwoo ran his thumb over Lucifel’s Ring.

Not long after, the carry bus came to a stop.

Scenario 1 territory. A place only Players could enter.

They’d arrived.

Stepping off the bus, Gangwoo laced his fingers together and stretched his arms overhead.

“Hoo…”

The stiffness in his body unwound, and as he took in the scene before him, a smile tugged at his lips.

“So this is the Scenario zone. Interesting.”

[Weapon Shop] [Smithy] [Alchemy] [Potion]

Signboards of every kind lined the streets.

“Recruiting party members for Scenario 1-1!”

“Level 50. Association Player. Running carries part-time!”

Players looking to form parties.

“Selling D-rank sword! Will trade for a D-rank bow!”

“Buying F-rank Catalogs!”

Even Players were running shops.

This place was truly a space built for Players. It was Scenario 1 territory.