In the mist that clouded everything around them—

The moment Ha Gangwoo poured Mana into her, a blue light rippled across Shamiel’s entire body.

“What just happened?”

Evan flinched in surprise, voicing his confusion.

“Whoa~! Is it magic?”

“Incredible…”

Rain and Teil stared at Shamiel, eyes sparkling.

Ha Gangwoo narrowed his eyes, watching Shamiel flicker in the light.

‘Did it work?’

From the moment the Hidden Quest updated, there was no longer any real need to worry.

But the path forward shifted depending on the affinity he’d built with her.

Now that the item near her heart had been triggered, the odds were over eighty percent—still, a sliver of unease crept in.

Gulp-

Ha Gangwoo swallowed dryly and checked the quest details one more time.

[Zenon’s Hidden Story] [Hidden]

Description: You have encountered one of Zenon’s past connections. If you make good use of her power, you can discover Zenon’s hideout.

Reward: Discovery of Zenon’s hideout.

Normally, Zenon’s hideout could only be found on Day 3, when his disciple stepped outside.

But with this Hidden Quest, they could find it right now. That was exactly why he’d gone through the trouble of building her favor.

Just as Ha Gangwoo watched Shamiel with a tense gaze—

Shamiel slowly began to open her eyes. She looked at her own hands, feeling the shimmering aura ripple across them.

“What exactly happened to me.”

Still seeming to have no idea what had just occurred, she voiced her confusion.

A faint blue glow lingered in Shamiel’s eyes.

‘It’s done.’

Ha Gangwoo saw her eyes and knew for certain.

Shamiel was a naturally suspicious person.

If she’d looked at this phenomenon with doubt, she might have reacted negatively. But there was no hostility in her eyes right now.

Ha Gangwoo set his hand on Shamiel’s shoulder and held her gaze. A faint blush crept across her cheeks as she looked away.

“Again… why… why are you doing this?”

“Does anything look different to you now?”

Ha Gangwoo cut straight to the point. If the item had activated properly, she should see something.

“Huh? What’s there to see?”

Shamiel glanced around at his words.

A place where thick fog obscured everything beyond arm’s reach. There, Shamiel fixed her gaze on one spot.

“Oh?! There’s something over there.”

A smile spread across Ha Gangwoo’s lips.

“That’s where Zenon dwells. Let’s go.”

“What?”

He’d just cast magic on her, and now he claimed that place was where Master Zenon was.

Doubt gnawed at Shamiel, but the goodwill and extraordinary feats he’d shown so far became the footing on which she took a step forward.

***

Rustle— A place where nothing was visible. Only the sound of feet pressing earth reached their ears.

Shamiel led the way, with Ha Gangwoo above her, and Evan’s party following behind.

As they advanced, the fog thickened.

Ha Gangwoo, following behind Shamiel, furrowed his brow.

‘No helping it.’

Because if they kept going like this, they’d reach a point where visibility was so poor they’d scatter apart.

With no other choice, Ha Gangwoo grabbed Shamiel’s hand. She flinched and turned back.

“Is… is something wrong?”

A faint blush rose as she voiced her question.

“Since I can’t see, let’s move while holding on.”

Ha Gangwoo answered calmly.

“Ah… okay.”

Whether she understood or not, Shamiel fixed her eyes on something in the void again and began to walk.

And so, Ha Gangwoo guided the way, holding both Shamiel’s and Evan’s hands.

Had they been walking for about twenty minutes? Even though they were close enough to hold hands, each other’s forms were invisible.

The fog was that thick, dulling their sense of direction.

More than that, the fog seemed to have a paralytic effect—it numbed not just smell but even the touch of clasped hands, steadily wearing away.

It was when fatigue from endless movement was setting in.

They had reached the edge of the thick fog.

Beyond the dense haze, at its very end.

Whoosh— As if stepping out from within a cloud, their vision brightened.

“Wow!”

“It’s beautiful…”

Rain and Shamiel gasped in admiration at the scene before them.

Like entering the eye of a typhoon, the weather was clear, and around them, fog formed a circle in a surreal barrier.

The land, lit by two suns in the clear sky, was carpeted with flowers.

Ha Gangwoo pulled up his hoodie and looked at the massive tree at the center.

‘This is Zenon’s dwelling…’

Ha Gangwoo paused his survey of the landscape and shifted his gaze to a stream right before him.

Over the shallow stream, a Gate blazed intensely.

‘So this is the end of 1-2.’

Ha Gangwoo walked toward the gate blazing with brilliant light.

“This place… So this is where the great Archmage Zenon resides, the one I’d only heard of in rumors.”

Evan wore a complex, mixed expression.

“It really is a beautiful place.”

Shamiel’s eyes welled up with tears, a sign of how much hardship she had endured until now.

But the moment Ha Gangwoo stepped before that gate—

‘……’

Everything came to a halt.

The flower field swaying in the wind, Rain and Teil smiling brightly—all of it.

Ding—

Only the jarring system window continued.

[You have cleared Zenon’s Hidden Story [Hidden].]

[You gain 12,000 EXP!!]

[Your Perk grants an additional 12,000 EXP.]

[You have cleared Evan’s Request [Sub].]

[You gain 9,200 EXP!!]

[Your Perk grants an additional 9,200 EXP.]

[An E-Grade Catalog has been issued.]

[You have cleared Zenon’s Residence [Main].]

[Calculating score…]

Survivors

+Rain Survived

+Teil Survived

+Evan Survived

+Shamiel Survived [Hidden]

…..

…

..

.

Final Rank: SS Rank.

[You gain 14,600 EXP!!]

[Your Perk grants an additional 14,600 EXP.]

[You have gained 230,000 Gold.]

[Scenario (1-2) rewards are being distributed.]

[Level Up!!!]

[Level Up!!!]

A gratifying din drummed against his eardrums.

A cold smile flickered across Ha Gangwoo’s face.

‘Not bad.’

This Scenario 1-2 felt short because he’d cleared the Hidden Quest, but he liked the speed.

‘Let’s go.’

Ha Gangwoo scooped up the Mimic, who had been crawling on the floor, and stepped into the fiercely shining gate.

Ding—

[Main Quest has been updated.]

***

A bustling scenario. Area 1.

Among the multiple pillars of light, the one with the largest crowd gathered was Area 1-3.

Men in fairly good equipment hoisted massive weapons onto their shoulders and shouted.

“Hidden route carry going!!!”

“Straight to the Teron Kingdom route carry!”

Ha Gangwoo was at that place too.

Before the intensely shining gate.

He sat on one of the several benches, lost in thought.

‘There really are a lot of people here.’

More people than in front of the other pillars of light.

And for good reason—starting from Scenario 1-3, the direction of the story changes drastically depending on your choices.

If you pick the fastest route, the scenario can end at 1-4, but pick a strange route, and they say it stretches all the way to 1-20.

‘The kingdom route is the best bet, as always.’

Ha Gangwoo had already decided on his route.

The Kingdom Route has the highest difficulty, but it’s the shortest story.

Plus, it’s the route known for the best rewards. There was no need to hesitate.

Ha Gangwoo sat cross-legged on a bench, chin resting on his hand as he rubbed it in thought.

‘Who to save…’

But there was a problem.

The Kingdom Route absolutely required party members.

‘Hmm…’

With the DLC, any party member he brought along would also receive those rewards. He needed to choose carefully.

‘Jo Seunghyun would be perfect.’

He was about the only reliable person Gangwoo could think of, but he was probably still in Antero’s Garden.

‘Troublesome.’

Gangwoo scowled and looked around.

Gleaming armor, glinting weapons—definitely a higher caliber of people here than on the Tutorial’s 3rd floor.

But Gangwoo’s frown only deepened.

It had been the same on the 3rd floor of the Tower of Tutorial—advertising himself wasn’t his thing.

On top of that, for the DLC to work, he absolutely had to be the party leader. He’d have to find people himself.

“Haah…”

Gangwoo averted his gaze and opened his Status window.

‘Let’s start with maintenance.’

He wanted to jump right in, but he figured a bit of upkeep was in order first.

First, he allocated his Stats.

[Ha Gangwoo]

Level: 38

Agility: 70 → 80 (+10)

Vitality: 78 → 82 (+4)

The levels he’d gained from Scenario 1-2 totaled 2. He’d invested evenly in Agility and Vitality.

‘Almost at Level 50.’

Gangwoo looked at his level and smiled faintly.

They’d said picking the Kingdom Route in 1-3 would net him a massive level-up. If that was the case, hitting Level 50 would be a walk in the park.

He was already looking forward to it.

Thump, thump—

[Demonization]

Grade: ???

Description: A core that generates Demonic energy is created within your body. Allows use of the Demonfolk’s power.

Effects

-All Status increased by 100%.

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

-Madness dominates your mind.

-Grants the Demon Eye effect.

-[Unlocked at LV.50.]

-[Unlocked at LV.75.]

-[Unlocked at LV.100.]

-[Unlocked at LV.150.]

“I wonder…”

He wanted to hit LV.50 right now and see what effect he’d get.

Honestly, the second one—physical damage recovery—had him curious too.

An effect that regrows a severed arm? If so, what happens to the severed one? He was curious, but not curious enough to actually chop his own arm off.

Gangwoo clicked his tongue and looked over at the Mimic, sitting quietly beside him.

Mik!

The moment he looked, she answered, as if she’d sensed it.

[Mimic]

Rank: E

Status: Full stomach, feeling good.

HP: 70/70

Satiety: 90/100

Capacity: 23/50

Skill: [Mimic Summon]

‘I’m curious about the next rank, too.’

And he wondered what the Mimic’s next rank would bring. A system where skills unlocked as rank increased.

Next time, he’d definitely choose Evolution.

Gangwoo narrowed his eyes, staring at the Gate as it blazed with intense light.

‘I want to go in already.’

Looking at all these growth opportunities made him eager to level up fast.

With that, Ha Gangwoo began his next round of preparations.

[Frost-Imbued Shortbow]

Grade: E

Durability: 0/25

‘Hmm…’

After several rounds of hunting, the shortbow’s durability had bottomed out.

Whenever he used the Gravity Belt, the durability plummeted in chunks.

Increasing the weapon’s weight must have strained the item itself.

‘No helping it.’

Ha Gangwoo grimaced and tossed the shortbow aside. An item at zero durability lost its luster, useless even for the Auction House.

So a choice had to be made.

Buy a new bow, or push forward as he was.

‘Hmm…’

A bow. A solid weapon, no doubt—especially when his Sense stat synced with Inventory loading, the synergy bordered on broken.

If the next Scenario had an escort Quest, buying a bow would be the right call.

‘Let’s just not buy one.’

But the next Quest had no escort mission.

Instead, Celeritra was the perfect fit. So Ha Gangwoo decisively let the bow go.

Ha Gangwoo opened the Auction House window and registered the useless items.

Ding-

[Item registered on the Auction House.]

[Item registered on the Auction House.]

……

….

..

.

The now-unneeded wooden arrows were there, along with plenty of items he’d picked up in this Scenario.

They were all junk, but once sold, the total was decent.

[Item sold.]

[Item sold.]

…..

…

..

[131,000 Gold acquired.]

For just Scenario 1-2, that was a hefty haul.

All thanks to the Mimic. She’d swept up even the items he might have missed, so he hadn’t taken a single loss.

‘Seventy million gold well spent, after all.’

Ha Gangwoo’s face relaxed into satisfaction as he looked at the Mimic.

Incredibly, she chirped back, “Mik!” right on cue.

‘Is she really alive?’

A doubt flickered through him. No matter how he looked at it, she was nothing more or less than an item chest.

Yet her status window showed emotional shifts and even a learning ability—it was downright fascinating.

He summoned some Gold and tossed it to the Mimic.

And then—

Mik! Mik!

[Gave 100 Gold to the Mimic.]

[Satiety increased by 1.]

The Mimic wobbled toward the Gold, snatched it up, and gulped it down.

She had no expression, so he couldn’t read her mood, but she seemed pleased.

‘Now this is all that’s left.’

Ha Gangwoo pulled his gaze away from the Mimic and opened his Inventory.

Inventory (8/10)

[Madness of Temperance]

[Warp Altar x1]

[DLC–Book of Job Change: Blood Devil]

[Celeritra]

[Warp Ring]

[Catalog]

[Big Glaive]

[Red Orb]

[-]

[-]

From this Scenario, he’d earned two clear rewards.

[Catalog]

[Big Glaive]

Among them, one item caught my eye: the Big Glaive.

“A greatsword?”

The Big Glaive was the reward for clearing the main quest, Zenon’s Hideout.

A reward earned at SS-rank, no less—I was curious what kind of weapon it would be.

Ha Gangwoo immediately checked the Big Glaive’s effects.

[Big Glaive]

Grade: C

Durability: 55/55

Attack Power: 110

Strength: +61

Description: A greatsword forged from the mysterious metal Vixel. Despite its size, it boasts tremendous weight.

(Caution! Only usable with Strength 200 or higher.)

Effects

– As Mana is infused, the weapon’s size increases.

(As the weapon grows, so does its weight.)

“Not bad, huh?”

Ha Gangwoo reached out a hand on instinct.

[You have summoned the Big Glaive from your Inventory.]

Shhhk—the massive greatsword sucked into his palm like it belonged there.

“What?!”

Thud! In that instant, Ha Gangwoo couldn’t handle the Big Glaive’s weight, and the blade slammed into the ground.

A smile crept across Ha Gangwoo’s lips.

‘Heavy.’

Ha Gangwoo’s base Strength was 100, but with the Gravity Belt and his armor’s bonuses stacked on top, it soared past 200.

Even so, this weapon was too heavy—hard to lift with one hand.

Ha Gangwoo gripped the Big Glaive with both hands and set his stance.

‘I’m curious.’

Artifact effects were full of interesting twists—this one made the weapon grow.

‘Let’s try it.’

Decision made, Ha Gangwoo. With the Big Glaive held in both hands, he channeled Mana into it.

[You have consumed 10 MP.]

In that moment. Shhh-k—the greatsword’s size expanded.

‘Fun.’

Ha Gangwoo kept pouring Mana into the greatsword.

[You have consumed 10 MP.]

[You have consumed 10 MP.]

……..

…..

…

.

Right now, Ha Gangwoo’s MP sat at 242, regenerating by 1 per second. So MP was overflowing.

As he pumped Mana in like crazy, the Big Glaive began to swell, growing bigger and bigger.

“What?! What’s that—a transforming weapon!”

“No way. Is he a carry driver? That’s way over 200 Mana.”

Eyes turned in an instant, drawn to the massive weapon Ha Gangwoo now held.

“Whoa, that thing must weigh a ton—how’s he even lifting it?”

“Should I ask him to party up?”

Everyone looked at Ha Gangwoo with keen interest. His face was swapped, so the attention wasn’t too intense, but it was enough to feel.

Ha Gangwoo cut the Mana flow to the Big Glaive. Slowly, the weapon’s size shrank back down.

‘Got too excited.’

Feeling the stares around him, Ha Gangwoo scratched the back of his head.

‘Actually, maybe this worked out?’

He’d needed party members anyway. Drawing eyes wasn’t a bad thing.

‘If I play this right, it’ll be useful.’

Ha Gangwoo stowed the now-shrunken Big Glaive back into his Inventory.

Other than the weight, it had a lot of potential for creative use. Besides, Demonization could cover the strength gap well enough.

It looked good enough to use as a main weapon.

Ha Gangwoo dropped back onto the bench with a thud.

A few Players approached him.

“Hey, are you looking for a party for floors 1-3?”

“We’re Association Players. Would you like to party up with us?”

He’d only stood up and tested an item’s effect once, but it had drawn eyes.

Ha Gangwoo scratched his cheek, watching them. Every last one was an ordinary Player, staring at him with a mix of expectation and curiosity.

‘Hmm…’

Ha Gangwoo mulled it over for a moment, then seemed to reach a conclusion. He slowly opened his mouth.

“Not interested.”

He’d decided to refuse. He could take anyone along, sure, but this time he wanted to choose for himself.

“Ah, don’t be like that. Come on, let’s go together. I’m a healer, and he’s a Tank. We’ve got a route, too—”

“No, thanks.”

They kept pushing even after the first refusal, but Ha Gangwoo’s stubborn attitude made them screw up their faces and walk away.

“Too bad. Maybe next time we get a chance.”

Some left without a fuss.

“Listen to this guy. What a fucking asshole. Ptooey.”

One person grumbled.

Ha Gangwoo slowly lifted his gaze to the man.

A fairly shiny set of armor—someone he’d seen a lot before.

That man looked at Ha Gangwoo and suddenly broke into a grin.

“Oh?! It’s that unlucky bastard I saw on the Association carry, right?”

The man who’d spat was none other than Lee Taewoo.

“Don’t you remember me? We met on the Association carry. The carriage got overturned by a Golem!”

Ha Gangwoo recognized him too. He was the one who’d been directing the newbie Players during the Golem subjugation.

Whether he’d lost his entire party in that incident or what, he was alone now.

Lee Taewoo suddenly acted chummy, plopping down on the bench and striking up a conversation.

“This must be fate. How about we party up?”

Mik! Mik!

Just then, the Mimic at Ha Gangwoo’s side let out a strange noise, bristling at Lee Taewoo.

Ha Gangwoo grabbed the Mimic to stop her from doing anything stupid.

‘What’s gotten into her all of a sudden.’

He’d thought of the Mimic as just a warehouse, but now it seemed she had an eye for people too. Or maybe their hearts were linked through the Link.

Ha Gangwoo himself was starting to feel a slow surge of irritation from the man in front of him.

“What’s this now? A Summoned Beast?”

Lee Taewoo looked at the Mimic and grinned with interest. Then, curiosity or whatever it was, he stuck out his index finger and tried to touch her.

But the Mimic snapped her jaws shut on Lee Taewoo’s finger.

“What the fuck!”

Lee Taewoo flailed his hand in shock, but the Mimic held on like a fish that had bit a hook, refusing to let go of the finger.

‘So she bites too.’

As Ha Gangwoo watched the Mimic, observing her…

Lee Taewoo pried Mimic off his finger with brute force, his face twisting into a scowl.

“What the fuck is wrong with this thing?!”

He grabbed her like a baseball, wound up, and hurled her straight at the ground.

Mimic let out a cry—*Mik!*—as she sailed through the air at brutal speed. A hit so savage it might have killed her outright if left unchecked.

Ha Gangwoo urgently summoned her back with a flick of his hand.

“Huh?! Where’d it go?”

Taewoo spun around, searching. He spotted Mimic in Gangwoo’s grip and his brow furrowed.

“What the—how’d you get it back? That’s your summon, right? Control your damn pet. Ah, shit, my HP’s draining.”

Grumbling, he chugged a Potion in one long gulp.

Right then, a vein bulged on Gangwoo’s forehead.

Gangwoo’s expression hardened as he stepped abruptly into Taewoo’s space.

“Wha—what do you want?!”

Taewoo, instantly cowed by Gangwoo’s glare, broke into a cold sweat and dropped the empty bottle on the ground.

“What? You wanna go? Come at me, then!”

Sweat beading on his brow, Taewoo reached into his Inventory. Gangwoo spoke slowly.

“Let’s party.”

“Huh?! What?”

Taewoo froze, stunned, his mind racing.

This guy had just refused him outright, and now he’s suddenly asking to party? It made no sense.

Then a thought struck him.

‘Ah! He must’ve seen me take down that Golem!’

The one who’d assembled a ten-man party when the carry went sideways! Sure, his teammates were garbage, but he was the only one who’d dodged the Golem’s attacks with ease back then.

‘Yeah, this is how it should’ve been all along.’

Taewoo grinned, smug.

“Fine. But I’m the party leader! Ah~! And I’ll handle the clearing strategy. How’s that?”

But Gangwoo didn’t answer—he simply turned and walked away.

All that came back was a single system window.

*Ding-*

[ Player Ha Gangwoo has invited you to a party. ]

[ Do you accept? ]

[ Yes / No ]

“W-wait! Fine. We’ll figure out the strategy together.”

Taewoo, caught off guard, started trailing Gangwoo, grinding his teeth.

‘This dumb bastard thinks he can brush me off? Just wait till we’re inside.’

The cocky attitude since the bus, the shitty moves just now—it all grated on him.

Clearly D-rank at best.

Taewoo was already plotting to teach Gangwoo a lesson once they entered the Scenario.

‘First, I’ll plant a fist right in that smug face of his.’

*Ding-*

[ Party invitation accepted. ]

Lost in a happy fantasy, Taewoo clicked ‘Accept.’

[ Party Members ]

– Ha Gangwoo [Party Leader]

– Lee Taewoo

‘Huh? Ha Gangwoo? That name sounds familiar…’

A flicker of doubt crossed Taewoo’s mind as he followed Gangwoo. Before long, they stood before a blazing, brilliant Gate.

“What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”

Lee Taewoo fidgeted, waving his arms in an exaggerated arc.

Ha Gangwoo said nothing—just scowled and stepped into the Gate.

Taewoo still didn’t get it. Why Gangwoo had let him into the party in the first place.

For a flash, something savage and crazed tightened in Gangwoo’s eyes.

‘You need a lesson.’

Ding—

[Would you like to enter Scenario 1-3?]