[You have entered the Tower of Tutorial.]

*Creeeak— SLAM.*

As soon as Ha Gangwoo stepped inside, the entrance door sealed shut.

Ha Gangwoo instinctively scanned the darkness for any source of light.

But there was nothing to find.

All he could feel was the unsettling sound of wind and the damp, musty smell of mildew.

‘What the hell…?’

It was absurd. How was he supposed to make a judgment and handle a situation when he couldn’t see anything?

Maybe it was the panic, but a bead of sweat started to roll down his back. Was it the darkness? He felt like his head could be lopped off at any moment.

He was feeling the terror of this void.

Then Ha Gangwoo clenched his fist tight.

‘Get a grip.’

He hadn’t even made a proper start, and he’d already fallen into a panic — utterly pathetic. He was pathetic.

‘From now on, the second I freeze is the end.’

Ha Gangwoo came to his senses, closed his eyes, and steadied his breathing.

Then, *fizz—* a new sense began to expand outward.

‘The Sense stat.’

The influence of the Sense stat he’d gotten from his Perk was undeniable.

How to put it — sensing the space? Even with his eyes closed, he could vaguely feel the area about a meter around him.

A domain no human could ever reach. The Status made it possible.

He was taking in his surroundings, pondering what to do, when it happened.

*Fwoosh— fwoosh— fwoosh—*

The space around him suddenly brightened.

Braziers set into the wall had burst into flame.

Ha Gangwoo slowly turned, taking it in. A corridor like a temple interior stretched before him, and when he looked back, a wall had sealed the path behind. He’d moved somewhere without even realizing it.

‘Follow the path, huh.’

There was only one way forward — a single, narrow corridor with no branching off. No choice at all.

*Ding-*

[You have cleared To the Tower of Tutorial!!]

[You have obtained 100 Gold.]

[Quest updated.]

The notification chime for a completed quest had barely faded when a single golden coin dropped into view with a soft clink.

Gangwoo stared at the Gold Coin.

It shimmered gold, stamped on both sides with the number 100.

[Gold Coin]

Description: Currency of the Gaia System. This coin, the most basic unit, holds a value of 100 Gold.

‘100 Gold.’

He’d done nothing yet besides entering the tower, and already the Gold was flowing in.

‘I can do this.’

Even just following the main quest would earn him money a normal office worker could never touch.

*Crunch.*

Gangwoo clenched the Gold tight in his fist.

‘Getting flustered just because I couldn’t see…’

He felt pathetic, thinking back on it.

Blood trickled from the hand gripping the coin, dripping to the floor.

‘I’m still too soft.’

He’d grit his teeth and made that vow, but it hadn’t changed a damn thing about how useless he was.

‘Fucking hell.’

Annoying, but there was no time to stand around zoning out.

Gangwoo opened his Inventory, tucked the coin inside, and checked the next quest.

[Find Antero.][Main]

Description: You have entered the Tower of Tutorial!! Find Antero, the tower’s helper, and speak to him.

Reward: Tutorial-exclusive Skill Catalog

(Pathfinding)

‘Not hard.’

The quest was easier than he’d expected. He knew Pathfinding was a good skill, but it turned out to be even better than he’d assumed.

*Ding-*

[Pathfinding function activated.]

A yellow arrow appeared, pointing toward the end of the corridor.

Just one little arrow, and the vague fear that had clung to him began to dissolve.

‘Let’s go.’

Light flickered in Ha Gangwoo’s eyes.

***

The path was so short it made his steely resolve feel almost absurd.

After walking about three minutes, the corridor’s end came into view.

‘What’s waiting there?’

Whatever happened, he’d give it his all. Trust himself, and move forward. That was the best he could do right now.

A bright space, a stark contrast to the dark corridor, awaited him.

‘Antero.’

A cave where crystals of light shone brightly, and at its center stood a man.

Gangwoo walked toward him without hesitation.

The man wore a black robe pulled low, exuding an eerie, enigmatic air.

He looked to be in his early twenties, with stark white hair and deep, dark circles under his eyes — his only distinguishing features.

As Ha Gangwoo drew close, the robed man—Antero—spoke with his arms still crossed, his face unreadable.

“Not a bad one, this time.”

The moment Antero finished speaking, the System chimed.

Ding-

[Find Antero. Quest completed.]

[Reward: Tutorial-exclusive Skill Catalog will be issued.]

[New quest updated.]

A single catalog materialized before Ha Gangwoo’s eyes. White background, with the letter F printed on it.

Gangwoo picked up the catalog and checked the next quest.

[Antero’s Teachings]

Description: Receive Antero’s teachings. He’s the master of the Tower—though he seems half-assed, he teaches properly. Be careful—he’s got a sensitive temper.

Reward: Differentiated by grade tier.

The quest’s content was simple.

‘A guide, huh.’

It seemed the quest required passing the tests that Antero, the master of the Tower, would give.

Antero spoke with half-lidded eyes. Maybe it was the heavy dark circles, but he looked exhausted.

“You’ve probably heard the gist, right? We’ll start the next stage right away.”

Antero tapped the massive boulder beside him with a clack.

Without explaining a thing, he pointed at the rock and indicated something was to be done.

Even though Gangwoo was flustered, he could roughly guess what it meant.

‘Guess I’m the only one who came in blind.’

Spelling everything out for humanity, who already knew all the Tower’s ins and outs, would have been a waste of time.

In other words, Antero was just acting according to humanity’s script.

But Ha Gangwoo didn’t know the Tutorial’s content.

He could’ve played along by instinct—but he was sick of living a life that just flowed wherever it went.

“I don’t know the Tower’s contents. Explain it properly.”

Antero’s eyes narrowed. A gleam flickered in that tired gaze.

Gangwoo wondered for a second if he’d been too rude—but he was done caring about anyone’s approval. He stared straight into Antero’s eyes, boring into them.

Antero’s eyes drooped back to half-mast, and he yawned.

“Haaah—thought you were decent, but you’re a fool.”

Antero leaned against the boulder, arms still crossed.

“From now on, I’ll give you a few tests. I’ll score you based on the results. Rewards are divided by score—from F-Rank to S-Rank, depending on how you do. They’ll be useful climbing the Tower, so it’s best you give it your all.”

Antero shifted his stance, placed his hand back on the boulder beside him, and said:

“First, smash this with your bare fists.”

Ha Gangwoo looked at the enormous rock before him.

A boulder easily three meters tall. It looked so solid that even a car ramming into it at full speed would come out the worse for wear.

‘Smash this…?’

A feat impossible for any normal human. He genuinely wondered if he could break it.

Ha Gangwoo looked down at his own fist. A bare, utterly pathetic fist.

Even he couldn’t stop the thought from surfacing in the back of his mind — this is impossible.

But what choice did he have? He wasn’t about to half-ass a Tutorial he’d already started.

All he could do was give it his best.

Ha Gangwoo reset his stance, readying himself to strike the rock.

Antero watched him with those sleep-heavy eyes.

‘What a pain in the ass…’

This rock-punching business wasn’t a test — it was just Antero’s way of maximizing the Potion and Skill guides. The final rating only counted at the final exam anyway.

The moment Gangwoo’s bare fist hit the rock, his knuckles would burst open. Then Antero would hand him a potion, simple as that.

Ha Gangwoo threw his fist at the rock with everything he had.

A potion materialized in Antero’s hand. The crimson liquid sloshed inside.

‘Kid’s got guts.’

He must have sensed it, even dimly — that rock in front of him wasn’t ordinary stone.

And instinct would’ve told him his hand was about to shatter.

Yet there wasn’t a trace of hesitation or fear in that swing.

Whish—

Gangwoo’s fist split the air and slammed into the rock with a thud.

Tap. Tap.

Something fell to the floor in that instant.

The corner of Antero’s perpetually blank mouth twitched upward.

‘Hm… interesting.’

What hit the ground was a shard of stone. The rock had cracked, like glass struck by a hammer.

The crack was small — apple-sized — but for a fresh arrival, it was remarkable.

Even those with flashy Traits had rarely smashed a rock this much without a Skill.

Antero tossed the potion to Gangwoo as he spoke.

“First test is done, for now.”

Gangwoo caught the flying potion.

[You have acquired 1 Lowest-Grade HP Potion.]

‘So I passed…?’

Gangwoo searched Antero’s face, but the expression was unreadable. He couldn’t tell if he’d earned a good evaluation.

Still, the result wasn’t bad. The rock he thought wouldn’t budge had shattered, hadn’t it?

Back when he threw the punch, he’d braced himself to lose a hand.

And in that moment of impact, he understood.

‘This is the power of the Status…’

That pathetically small fist had broken that massive boulder. It was nothing short of a miracle.

“That’s a Potion. It heals wounds and recovers HP.”

Antero crossed his arms again and continued explaining the Potion.

Potions were good items, he said, but they couldn’t heal severe physical damage.

He warned that if you put too much faith in items, you wouldn’t live long.

And just like that, the Potion guide ended.

Antero then made him use the Catalog he’d been given.

Ding—

[The Skill Window has been activated.]

Antero snapped his fingers, and a skill window activated.

Ha Gangwoo immediately used the Catalog.

The card in his hand scattered into a halo of light, then flowed into his body.

Ding-

[You have acquired a skill.]

[Straight Punch]

Grade: F

Type: Active

Mana Cost: 3~ (The more Mana consumed, the greater the destructive power.)

Action: Thrust your fist forward.

Effect: Wraps Mana around your fist to amplify destructive power.

Ha Gangwoo read through the skill he had learned.

It was the first skill he’d ever acquired, only an F-grade, but he was curious what it could do. From the description alone, it didn’t seem all that impressive.

“The first skill you learn is Straight Punch. Skills are broadly divided into Active and Passive. For Actives, you need to know how to use them.”

Antero explained the skill and, as if demonstrating, clenched his right fist and thrust it forward.

Whoosh— A simple motion. But even the sound was different.

For an instant, the air trembled, and a sonic boom exploded with a ‘Crack!’

“The action for Straight Punch is to clench your fist and thrust it out. The skill name is the same as its Activation Word. You don’t have to shout it out loud; just picturing the skill in your mind triggers it.”

Antero kept his fist withdrawn but extended his index finger.

“And Mana is a personal resource. Just like tensing your muscles, Mana works the same way—the more force you put in, the more it consumes, and the greater the destructive power.”

A bluish orb gathered over Antero’s index finger. The orb grew larger, then vanished into the air with a soft pop.

“Now, use your new skill to hit that rock.”

Ha Gangwoo clenched his right fist tightly and looked at it.

‘This is all about grade ranking, isn’t it.’

Ha Gangwoo knew his situation all too well.

A shop-related Trait was bound to fall behind in combat. Even if he could gain a slight edge now with his raw Stats, he would inevitably hit a wall as things progressed.

That’s why skills were so crucial. A skill to compensate for his Trait—and he had just learned the first one.

‘It has to be the highest grade.’

Ha Gangwoo stared at the rock. The spot where he had already created a small, faint crack earlier.

He didn’t know how to manipulate Mana, but he gathered everything he had, with all his might, into his fist.

Whoosh-

He could feel something coalescing around his fist.

And then.

He thrust his fist forward with all his strength.

Ding-

[Consumed 29 MP.]

Boom!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With a massive explosion, the rock burst apart.

‘This is… an F-grade skill…’

It was merely an F-grade skill. But what was this destructive power?

Ha Gangwoo stared at the scattering debris, stunned by the incredible force.

‘This is insane, way more than I thought.’

He had thought it was a trivial skill, but it was beyond his imagination. If an F-grade skill was this strong, what kind of skills existed at higher grades?

That was the moment.

Beeeeep-

A sudden ringing in his ears, then dizziness crashed over him.

Ha Gangwoo staggered, clutching his head.

“What the hell…”

[You have used all your MP.]

As Gangwoo puzzled over it, Antero spoke flatly.

“What else? You used up all your Mana, so you’re dizzy.”

Antero tossed a Mana Potion to Gangwoo.

“Not bad for a beginner.”

A thin smile tugged at the corner of Antero’s mouth.

‘Been a while since an interesting one showed up.’

A level 1 Player shattering a boulder—and what was even more surprising, he’d blown through all his MP.

‘His Mana control must be high.’

A clueless rookie uses up all his MP? That part piqued Antero’s interest in Ha Gangwoo even more.

Mana was an organ humans never had—like suddenly growing a tail you never knew you were missing.

And yet he’d drawn out that sense so easily, all of it. This kid was definitely no ordinary one.

Gangwoo drank the Mana Potion Antero had given him.

[Recovered 10 MP.]

A faint blue light wrapped around his body.

The dizziness vanished instantly.

‘So this is a Potion…’

The Player’s world was truly a new universe.

‘One tiny potion like this recovers my body.’

It wasn’t full-on regeneration yet, but the dizziness disappeared in an instant.

‘I can save her.’

Seeing the System’s miracles again, the hope of saving his sister grew stronger.

‘I’ll develop my abilities, build my power, and save Jiyeon no matter what.’

Ha Gangwoo recalled his goal and looked at Antero.

“What’s next?”

“Equipment items.”

Antero said flatly, then snapped his fingers.

Ding-

[The Equipment window is now active.]

Antero began explaining the Equipment window.

[Weapon][Weapon]

[Helm][Top][Bottom][Belt][Shoes]

[Necklace][Ring][Ring][Bracelet]

“From now on, you can equip items. You can get the effect of one weapon in each hand. Of course, you could use three swords if you wanted, but the items that apply are capped at the number shown in the Equipment window. Meaning even if you wear ten rings, only two actually count.”

Finished with the equipment explanation, Antero waved his hand.

Shrrrrk-

Several dozen weapons materialized in midair.

From swords to spears, bows, staves, even modern guns. A variety of items floated before them.

“Pick one weapon. It’s connected to the next test, so I recommend you choose carefully.”

“Hmm…”

Ha Gangwoo stared at the weapons hovering in the air.

‘Which one do I pick.’

This choice was important too. If it was tied to the next test, it would likely involve combat.

He’d either fight Antero himself or battle monsters.

Among all the weapons, Gangwoo’s eyes settled on the gun.

Having been an ordinary person, Gangwoo wasn’t skilled with weapons. In that case, a gun—easy for anyone to use—would be perfect.

Firepower, obviously. And there’s no difficulty in using the weapon. You can shoot from a distance, so there’s no risk either. The downside is that bullets are consumables.

After a moment of deliberation, he reached for one item.

*Ding-*

[You have selected the Training Gloves.]

[Training Gloves]

Grade: F

Durability: 10/10

Attack Power: 9

Defense Power: 10

Agility: +5

Description: Gloves issued exclusively for use in the Tower of Training. Excellent durability.

The moment Gangwoo picked up the gloves, the remaining items dissolved back into shimmering light.

He looked down at the gloves in his hand. Hand-shaped armor, fitted with iron plates — solid-looking, formidable.

‘This is the right call.’

Honestly, he’d been drawn more to the gun or the sword. But in terms of efficiency, they just didn’t measure up.

Hadn’t he just felt it himself? With his Status alone, he’d gained superhuman strength.

Items were meant to *support* the Status. That’s why he chose the gloves.

The weapon that best meshed with his single Skill — and the one he knew best.

His own two fists.

A smile flickered across Antero’s previously expressionless face.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a stubborn one choose the gloves.”

Antero snapped his fingers. *THUD!* A massive dust storm erupted around them.

“Whoa!”

Gangwoo threw an arm up to shield his face from the blast of grit.

*Swoosh-* The dust began to settle, and something enormous came into view.

*Gulp.*

Gangwoo swallowed dryly, staring at the shape.

‘…A monster.’

Its body stood over three meters tall. Its face was like a pig’s, but its teeth gleamed sharper than any tiger’s.

Its name was an Orc.

The Orc ground its teeth with a *grit* and radiated pure hostility toward Gangwoo.

Gangwoo looked up into the eyes of the creature that towered a full meter above him.

‘I’m supposed to fight this thing?’

Before he knew it, cold sweat beaded on his skin.

He’d braced himself. He’d pushed himself. But seeing a real monster roar right in front of him made him shrink.*

“This is the final test, Player.”

Antero snapped his fingers again.

*Ding-*

[The EXP window is now active.]

“I have activated all the basic systems I can grant you.”

Antero’s form began to blur, fading at the edges.

“Sever the breath of the being before you. Kill the monster, take its blood, cut its life short — and make it your flesh and blood. Infinite growth. That is your final test. Prove your worth.”

Antero’s figure was nearly gone. His low voice still echoed in Gangwoo’s ears.

“I’ll be waiting above.”

The moment Antero’s form vanished completely—

*Ding-*

[A quest has arrived.]

[Antero’s Final Trial.]

Description: Antero’s final trial. Fight the monster before you for 5 minutes!!!

(Scoring criteria: Accumulated Damage + Survival Time)

Reward: ???

A new quest appeared.

[5:10]

A stopwatch ticked down in front of the monster.

“Five minutes to start. This must be it.”

Ha Gangwoo pulled on his gloves, his gaze locked on the monster’s eyes.

‘Proof…’

He clenched his fist. The leather of the glove pressed snug against his skin.

[Attack increases by 9.]

[Defense increases by 10.]

[Agility increases by 5.]

A welcome chime rang out. In an instant, power surged through his entire body.

A Player’s reason for existing was slaughter. To kill, to take, to crave endless growth.

Right now, Ha Gangwoo was taking his first step toward taking a life.

[5:00]

Ding-

[The barrier disappears.]

The moment the System tone ended—

*Kuaaaaaah!!!*

The Orc let out a savage roar.

It hammered against his eardrums, but a faint smile crept onto Ha Gangwoo’s face.

“Let’s go.”

And so, Ha Gangwoo’s first battle began.