Ha Gangwoo crouched in front of a street vendor, eyeing the gleaming items.

[Crimson Gladius +2]

[Frost-Imbued Magnum +1]

…

..

.

There were various items, but one thing stood out.

‘Plus? Is this an Enhancement item?’

A plus sign was attached right after the weapon names.

On top of that, Enhancement items had a shimmering effect that normal items lacked.

‘Do they have different effects?’

Ha Gangwoo opened the status window of one of the items scattered on the ground.

[Frost-Imbued Magnum+1]

Grade: E

Durability: 21/21

Attack Power: 25(+3)

Strength: +19

Vitality: +18

Description: Infused with frost magic. Has a chance to freeze the target.

Effect

– 50% chance to fire a frost bullet on each shot.

‘So this kind of stuff exists too.’

An Enhanced item didn’t feel that different. Just an extra damage bonus tacked on top.

As Gangwoo eyed the item closely, the merchant selling it flashed a practiced smile and spoke up.

“Fresh stock, just came in. I’ll give it to you ten percent cheaper than the Auction House price.”

“Hmm…”

At the merchant’s words, Gangwoo rose from his seat.

“No thanks.”

“Sure, take your time looking around.”

Gangwoo turned him down flat and walked off. The merchant clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Gangwoo shoved his hands into the pocket of his hoodie and started down the street.

“Buying all D-rank and below Catalogs! Paying top Gold!”

This was the market in the Scenario zone.

‘All kinds of people here.’

Most of them were vendors doing business aimed at the new Players fresh out of Scenario 1.

And the betting games he’d been hoping for were here too.

“Arm wrestling match! Put up Gold and win triple!”

“PVP open! Accepting items, Gold, anything!”

But every last one running those games was a con artist.

‘What level is he…’

Gangwoo’s Sense stat was 50(+6) right now, and even that couldn’t gauge the guy’s strength. He looked at least level 100 or higher.

‘Forget the games.’

He had enough Gold to be comfortable anyway.

Better to use his time efficiently than hoard money. Which meant there was only one place to go.

‘Let’s move.’

Gangwoo made up his mind and started walking.

***

A pillar of brilliant light connected to the sky. A crowd of Players gathered beneath it.

“Alright, let’s head in!”

A party of determined Players stepped through the Gate, faces set with grim seriousness.

This was the starting point of the Scenario. Scenario 1-1.

Gangwoo pulled his hood low and stood before the arch-shaped Gate. A massive doorway, its alien blue light rippling across the surface.

“This is it.”

Originally he’d planned to repair his gear before going in, but the repair would take three hours. Better to just clear it in that time.

From what he’d checked, the recommended level for Scenario 1-1 was 10.

They said even a Player fresh out of the Tutorial could handle it solo without much trouble.

At his current power, that should be more than enough.

Gangwoo opened his own Status Window.

[Ha Gangwoo]

Level: 34

HP: 1620/1620

MP: 75/75

Strength: 100(+6)

Agility: 70(+6)

Vitality: 74(+6)

Mana: 65(+6)

Sense: 50(+6)

Luck: 60(+6)

Trait: [DLC]

Skills: [Straight Punch] [Fireball] [Combat Stance] [Swift Movements] [Extreme Strike] [Seismic Stomp] [Invisible]

‘This should be enough.’

The only effect he’d gotten from handing over all those items was the stat boost from the Costume.

But the stats increased by the Jumping Character were more than enough.

‘Still, I might need a weapon.’

Ha Gangwoo scratched his cheek with his index finger and opened his Inventory for the first time in a while.

Ding-

Inventory (6/10)

[Madness of Temperance]

[Runetail’s Necklace]

[Warp Altar x1]

[Rupicel Mineral x1]

[Mid-Grade HP Recovery Potion x3]

[DLC – Book of Job Change: Blood Devil]

[-]

[-]

[-]

[-]

‘Hmm… seems like enough.’

He even had Potions for emergencies. He really didn’t look like he needed a weapon.

‘Let’s go.’

Ha Gangwoo slowly let his body sink into the Gate, its surface shimmering with intense light.

At that moment,

the blinding light hammered against his retinas.

Ding-

[You have cleared the Beginning of the Story.][Main]

[You have received a reward.]

[Quest has been updated.]

Ding~!

[DLC – Another Story is being applied.]

The jarring System sounds swirled around his ears.

***

Whoosh-

His vision snapped back in an instant. It was a sensation he’d felt often in the Tutorial, so it was familiar.

‘Hmm.’

Ha Gangwoo slowly walked forward.

Rustle- Lush green grass grew thick under his feet.

‘Amazing.’

Ha Gangwoo took a deep breath. The fragrant scent of grass filled his lungs.

He’d heard about it roughly, but actually entering it like this—it was a whole new world.

Green earth, a clear sky, and at the center of it, two suns.

It was obvious at a glance that this wasn’t Earth.

Ha Gangwoo looked at the System window floating before his eyes.

[DLC – Another Story is in operation.]

‘Guess I don’t need to check separately.’

The DLC – Another Story, bought for a whopping 20 million Gold.

As expected, it was an item that upgraded Scenario 1.

‘Let’s check it first.’

Ha Gangwoo immediately opened the Quest window.

[Scenario.1 Fallen Kingdom][Main]

Description: The Teron Kingdom of Skypier has met its downfall. Find and rescue the group of survivors! (The ending changes depending on which survivors you rescue.)

Reward: ???

Ha Gangwoo stared at the Quest window and smiled with interest.

“It really is just like a game.”

It was something he already knew, but it was still interesting.

‘Rescuing the prince of the Teron Kingdom had the best reward, right?’

And he was already done studying Scenario 1.

According to that, in the early part of the scenario, 1-1, rescuing the kingdom’s prince was the best option.

‘Let’s check the rewards first.’

And rescuing the prince was more relaxed than he’d thought.

As it was Scenario 1, the difficulty was easy. When a big explosion happens in the kingdom, you’re supposed to go in that direction.

There was no explosion yet. That meant he had time.

‘I wonder what it gave.’

The moment Ha Gangwoo reached for his Inventory with deliberate ease—as if the world itself wanted to mock that ease—

Ding-

A System window materialized before him.

[A Hidden Quest has arrived.]

“A Hidden Quest?” he muttered.

A Hidden Quest—he’d never heard of such a thing. That meant there was only one reason for this sudden notification.

“It’s because of the DLC.”

Gangwoo checked the new quest immediately.

[[DLC – Another Story.] Rescue the Princess.][Hidden]

Description: The prince and princess of the Teron Kingdom are on the brink of death. Find them and rescue them quickly.

(Time remaining until princess dies: 9 minutes 59 seconds.)

Reward: ???

“What the hell?” he blurted.

A princess who didn’t even appear in the original Scenario—and a time limit tacked on top of that.

‘Ten minutes. No room for slacking.’

Gangwoo scowled and shut his eyes.

The usual ‘find location’ feature was gone.

In other words, under normal circumstances, this was a quest you’d have to find by luck alone. But Gangwoo had another way.

He closed his eyes and let his Sense unfurl, wide and searching.

About thirty seconds passed like that.

Then—his eyes snapped open, sharp and bright.

‘Found you.’

Light blazed in his gaze for an instant.

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

[Swift Movements] [ON]

[Movement speed increased by 50%.]

A blue aura rippled around both his legs,

[Demonization activated.]

[All stats increased by 100%.]

The moment black dust swallowed his entire body—

Boom!!

Gangwoo’s form split the earth beneath him.

***

Clank-clatter

A man in heavy armor ran desperately, clutching two small children in each arm.

Behind him, a dozen knights with swords and shields followed, their faces pale with terror as they hurried after him.

“Haaah… haaah…”

The knight leading the charge was named Evan.

On the verge of collapse, Evan heaved ragged breaths and forced his legs to keep moving.

“Waaaah!”

The boy in Evan’s right arm wailed at the top of his lungs,

“Hic… hic…”

while the girl in his left arm sobbed quietly.

The crying children were the prince and princess of the Teron Kingdom.

“Haaah… haaah…”

Evan pushed himself with everything he had, then glanced back over his shoulder.

Grrrr-woof-woof!

Two monstrous beasts, easily over two meters tall, charged with their eyes blazing.

Evan’s face twisted at the sight.

‘They’ll catch us.’

At this rate, it was total annihilation. He had to make a decision.

The dozen or so men here were comrades who’d fought alongside him for ten years—practically brothers.

That’s why it tore his chest apart to say what came next.

“Nil, Sendz, Tom, Beddy—hold them here!!!”

In one sentence, an order to fight those monsters and die.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the men he’d named stopped in their tracks.

Evan grit his teeth. He hated his own helplessness, his own judgment. But he had what he had to do.

‘I’ll save Prince Teil and Princess Rain no matter what.’

The prince and princess sobbed in both his arms. He had to save them.

Crack!

“AAAAHHH!!!!”

Crack!

“AAAAHHH!!!!”

Behind him, a hideous crunch and his comrades’ screams rang out.

Evan frowned and stopped short. If they kept running like this, they’d all be wiped out.

A fierce gleam settled in Evan’s eyes as he made his decision.

When Evan, at the front, halted, the knight beside him gasped for breath and snarled.

“Why’d you stop! Run, damn it! You want their sacrifice to be for nothing?!”

“What are you doing! Go!”

The furious knight yanked out his sword and charged at the beasts rushing toward them. He meant to sacrifice himself this time.

Evan felt the same. He was the only Superhuman among them. So he was confident he could buy even a few minutes.

Only two comrades remained. Evan handed the prince and princess off, one to each.

“Then I’m counting on you. Find Master Zenon. He’ll make things right.”

Evan’s unyielding gaze made them both nod.

Evan pulled a sword from his Inventory.

Shing— As a Superhuman, Evan could sense it. He knew exactly how strong the monster before him was.

“AAAAHHH!!!”

Crunch— Crack—

Before his eyes, his two dear comrades were torn apart and died.

Evan ground his teeth and charged at the monster.

A wolf-shaped beast, over two meters tall, bared its fangs and lunged at Evan.

Crunch— Evan blocked the attack with his massive greatsword.

But then—

“NO!!!”

A second monster had slipped past Evan’s side, chasing after the princess and her escort.

“AAAAHHH!!!!”

Evan roared in fury. He was angrier than he’d ever been, his teeth grinding.

Right at that moment, a message tapped against his eardrums.

Ding-

[From your intense rage, Berserk activates.]

[Berserk’s effect increases all Stats by 150%.]

In an instant, overwhelming power surged through Evan’s body. Slish— the monster’s head was cleaved off.

“No!”

Evan used the raging power to chase after the beast that had pursued the princess’s group.

“Hah… Hah…”

He sprinted with all his might, but he couldn’t match the beast’s speed.

With his heightened Agility stat, time seemed to slow.

The beast, dragging its prey, ran on. Its sharp maw gaped wide.

‘No… Please…’

Evan ran desperately, the scene seared into his eyes.

Slowly, the sharp fangs closed in on his comrades and the princess—more precious to him than his own life.

‘Please… Someone…’

Begging was all Evan could do.

‘Help me.’

That was the moment the beast’s fangs were about to clamp down on what he held dear.

One figure shot through the air at impossible speed.

Boom!!!! A massive explosion swallowed the area in dust.

“What… what the hell…”

Evan sprinted toward the blast’s epicenter like a madman.

Even with Agility boosted by 150%, he couldn’t track the flying figure.

‘What is it… what is it… no way…’

A dark premonition kept clawing at him. Each time it did, his grip on the greatsword in his right hand tightened.

And then—

Shhhhhk— As he reached the blast’s origin, the sound hit him.

“Hic… hic…”

The Princess’s crying.

The moment he heard it, relief flooded Evan’s face.

Above the beast that was howling in agony.

The silhouette of a man in black clothes emerged.

“…”

Evan gaped at the man, his expression blank.

An unfathomably strong power. Overwhelming might. One word surfaced in his mind as he looked at the man.

“Savior…”

***

Ding-

[You have defeated the Infected Wolf.]

[You have acquired 600 EXP!!]

[You have acquired an additional 600 EXP from the Perk effect.]

[You have acquired 1,200 Gold.]

[[DLC – Another Story.] Rescue the Princess.][Hidden] has been cleared.

[You have acquired 2,600 EXP!!]

[You have acquired an additional 2,600 EXP from the Perk effect.]

[Reward has been acquired.]

[Scenario.1 Crumbling Kingdom][Main] has been cleared.

[You have acquired 2,500 EXP!!]

[You have acquired an additional 2,500 EXP from the Perk effect.]

[Reward has been acquired.]

[Level up!!!]

[Quest has been updated.]

The pleasant notifications poured in relentlessly.

‘This is insane.’

The 100% EXP boost tied to the Jumping Character. Turns out it applied to quests too.

Ha Gangwoo, a satisfied smile playing on his lips, opened his Inventory to check the reward.

But then, a man spoke to him.

“Thank you so much.”

A knight in rather impressive armor. He knelt and offered Gangwoo his gratitude.

“Almost like a real person.”

Ha Gangwoo knew exactly what—who—everyone before him really was.

NPCs crafted by the System.

Just one of the Scenarios every Player goes through.

Evan slowly lifted his head and stared at Gangwoo.

“Huh!!!”

Evan flinched, startled, and pointed his sword at Gangwoo.

“A—a Demon!!!!!”

Sclera black as pitch, pupils crimson red.

Because Ha Gangwoo’s eyes were exactly those of a demon.

“Ah…”

Gangwoo immediately deactivated Demonization. But Evan’s stance didn’t change.

“You demonic bastard! What do you want!!!”

The man was shouting, jabbing his massive greatsword toward Gangwoo.

Ha Gangwoo scrunched up his face, then scratched the back of his head roughly.

‘What a pain.’

“The NPCs here are stubborn as stone,” Gangwoo thought. “If a misunderstanding takes root, it won’t be easy to clear up.”

No matter how much he tried to persuade, that NPC would firmly believe he was a demon.

‘What now? Just kill him? Crush him with force?’

Ha Gangwoo’s expression cooled as he sank into thought—then,

Thump—

A small object wrapped itself around Ha Gangwoo’s leg.

“P-Princess!!!”

Evan jumped, shouting in alarm, but Princess Rain sniffled and held tight to Gangwoo’s leg, her grip firm.

Then, with her tiny palms clutching his pant leg, she peeked back over her shoulder.

“He’s not a bad person! He’s the good one who saved us!”

Her lisping voice rang out, sharp and clear.

“Princess, that man is a demon!!! Don’t be fooled. The Teron Kingdom fell to a demon just like him…”

Evan tried to persuade Rain but trailed off.

After all, he’d realized that without that man, the Princess wouldn’t be here right now.

Ha Gangwoo scratched his cheek and looked down at the little girl clinging to his leg.

The tiny kid tilted her head up, sniffling.

‘She really does seem human.’

Despite himself, Gangwoo smiled at the sight.

Just then—

“Ah!!! Prince!!!!”

Evan shouted loudly and started running into the forest.

“Sam! Take care of the Princess!!!!”

He yelled over his shoulder to the knight who’d almost died with the Princess, then vanished from sight.

‘What the hell?’

As Ha Gangwoo frowned in confusion, the knight who’d been with the Princess—Sam—bowed his head in gratitude.

“Thank you so much. You are our benefactor.”

“Ah… yeah.”

As Ha Gangwoo answered Sam, someone tugged at his pants—tap, tap.

He slowly looked down at the kid clutching his pant leg.

“Please help him.”

Her eyes were swollen from all the crying.

The mission to rescue the Princess—the objective of the Hidden Quest—was already cleared.

But saving the Prince would mean better rewards, so there was no reason to refuse.

Ha Gangwoo slowly parted his lips, a smile tugging at them.

“Alright. Let’s go quickly.”

And so, Ha Gangwoo’s first Episode 1 began.