A mysterious place where the entire room glowed.

Ha Gangwoo stood before the black box, his expression tense.

‘He wants me to break the seal?’

The box in front of him—it was undoubtedly alien.

Like a black hole, only its black shape was visible; its material was impossible to sense.

Slowly, Ha Gangwoo reached a hand toward the box.

ZZZZZZT!!!!

Violent sparks erupted around the black box, and a sharp, searing pain surged through him.

Ding-

[You have taken 20 HP of damage.]

Ha Gangwoo grimaced and rubbed his temple.

‘Is some sealing skill placed on it?’

None of this was in the Clearing guide. He would have to rely on his own judgment.

‘Let’s check the Status Window.’

Ha Gangwoo immediately opened the Status Window on the black box.

Ding-

[Box Sealed by Powerful Demonic Energy]

Grade: ???

Description: An item Zenon found by chance. It is sealed with powerful Demonic Energy.

(TIP—Demonic Energy can only be undone by Demonic Energy.)

As he read the window, Ha Gangwoo let out a sigh of relief.

“Demonic Energy with Demonic Energy…”

Because in that blur of uncertainty, he’d finally caught a scrap of solid ground: the word TIP.

Ha Gangwoo stroked his chin, the rasp of stubble against his fingers grounding him as he turned the puzzle over.

‘The seal wrapped around the box — does it mean I can open it using demonic energy?’

If he was right, there was a way.

‘Demonization.’

Through Lucifel’s Ring, he could call on that transformation. That alone would give him the demonic energy he needed.

A dry smile flickered across Gangwoo’s face.

‘High difficulty.’

A box that only demonic energy could open — for an ordinary Player, it might as well be impossible.

But Gangwoo wasn’t ordinary.

‘Let’s do it.’

He pulled his hat down lower, the brim shadowing his eyes, and felt Zenon’s gaze on him like a weight.

From across the room, Zenon watched through narrowed eyes. The demonic energy leaking from Demonization was unavoidable — but if Gangwoo let him see the Demon Eye, it might tank their rapport.

‘What about the tail.’

Right — Demonization also came with a tail. That left only one option.

‘No choice.’

For Zenon’s goodwill, it was a hassle, but there was no other way.

‘Invisible.’

Gangwoo shut his eyes and activated Invisible.

Ssssh — his body dissolved from the space, leaving nothing behind.

“Oh!!! A concealment spell… No, that’s no mere concealment spell… This is high-order magic that erases one’s very presence…”

Zenon stroked his beard, a smile curling at its edges, genuine wonder painted across his face.

Hidden under Invisible, Gangwoo triggered Demonization.

[You have used Demonization.]

[All stats increase by 100%.]

Demonic energy flooded his body in an instant — but Invisible was potent enough to mask even that tide.

[Invisible]

Rank: S

Type: Active

MP Cost: 15 per second

Action: Close both eyes.

Effect: Conceals appearance, sound, presence, demonic energy, holy power, and mana.

‘Damn good skill.’

A full S-Rank skill — but it cost 15 MP per second and required him to keep his eyes shut.

Still, Gangwoo’s Sense stat let him perceive his surroundings even with his eyes closed. And with items boosting his MP to 240 — recovering 2 per second — he was in a different league now.

Gone were the days when his mana drained dry in three seconds.

Gangwoo slowly reached out and gripped the ‘Box Sealed with Powerful Demonic Energy.’

This time, no sparks flared against his touch.

‘Got it.’

He seized the box and poured on his strength.

Creeeak — his Strength, pushing close to 300, made the box groan with a sound like breaking bone.

“Huh?!”

But even with everything he had, the box didn’t budge.

Ding-

[The box sealed with powerful demonic energy is locked.]

That single system window floated before his eyes.

‘Locked?’

Gangwoo’s brow furrowed as he turned the problem over.

Two paths opened before him.

Find the key to unlock it — or break it open by force. Neither looked easy.

Finding the key was a dead end from the start. And smashing it open… that didn’t sit right either.

This place was Zenon’s laboratory. Breaking something precious here might lower his favorability.

Ha Gangwoo deactivated Invisible and Demonization, then dropped heavily to sit on the floor.

‘What do I do…’

As Ha Gangwoo wore a grim expression, Zenon spoke regretfully.

“It’s difficult after all, isn’t it?”

Ha Gangwoo turned his head to look at Zenon’s face. In that instant, a memory flashed in his mind.

‘That’s right.’

There was still information that hadn’t changed.

[Quest]

-[Zenon’s Teachings][Main]

Description: You have gained Zenon’s trust. Receive Zenon’s teachings and inherit his power.

Reward: Mana Materialization [E]

-[Zenon’s Secret][DLC Hidden]

Description: You have arrived at Zenon’s secret laboratory. Zenon has developed great affection for you. Accept Zenon’s request and release the artifact’s seal.

Reward: ???

That was the ‘Main Quest’ — Zenon’s Teachings.

‘Zenon’s Teachings was…’

As he recalled the information, the corner of Ha Gangwoo’s mouth curled up slightly.

‘It overlaps.’

It perfectly overlapped with the contents of the black box before him.

Ha Gangwoo stood up from his spot and approached Zenon.

At that, Zenon’s expression crumpled as if disappointed, and he spoke.

“I suppose it’s impossible after all. I must have asked for something unreasonable.”

“No. I have a request before we open the box.”

Ha Gangwoo recalled the information and continued speaking.

“A request?”

“Yes. I wish to receive your teachings, Master Zenon.”

Zenon’s Teachings — the quest known as the most difficult in Scenario 1.

“My teachings?”

“Yes. I need them.”

Zenon stroked his chin, lost in thought.

After about ten seconds passed, he began rummaging inside his coat.

The Main Quest — Zenon’s Teachings — had begun.

‘Perfect.’

Ha Gangwoo clenched his fist tight and focused on Zenon’s words.

“A person with such ample ability, and humility to match — truly impressive. If you need this old man’s meager power, I must gladly pass it on.”

What Zenon pulled out was a small box. As he’d heard, Zenon held the box and demonstrated.

“There’s nothing special about my magic.”

Zenon straightened his index finger and began gathering Mana.

Ha Gangwoo extended his Sense as far as he could, feeling the flow.

‘So that’s it.’

The quest said to be the most difficult in Scenario 1. The one that took anywhere from three days to over a month.

‘Tough, as expected.’

Wearing a serious expression, Ha Gangwoo felt the Mana flowing around Zenon.

The Mana spread throughout Zenon’s entire body gathered at his index finger, then swelled into a shape like a cloud, soft and billowing.

At last, Zenon inserted the cloud-shaped mass of condensed mana into the keyhole of the chest.

At that instant, a heavy click rang out as the chest’s lock disengaged.

Zenon wore a satisfied expression as he handed the chest over.

“This is all I can teach you.”

“Thank you.”

Ha Gangwoo took the chest Zenon offered. An unremarkable wooden box — about twice the size of Mimic.

‘Definitely looks tough.’

The current main Quest was one that only Mage-track aspirants learned.

Despite being a main Quest, it came with the option to give up.

That was why Ha Gangwoo, too, had been ready to abandon the main Quest, Zenon’s Teachings.

A Quest that even talented Players needed three days to complete. He didn’t want to waste time.

But now, the option to quit was gone.

A Quest linked to none other than the DLC Hidden Quest. He had to succeed—absolutely.

Ha Gangwoo slowly closed his eyes, feeling his own mana surging through his entire body.

It enveloped him like a blanket of steam, covering every inch of his form.

He spread his palm wide and struggled to gather that mana.

Ten seconds passed. Then a minute.

But Ha Gangwoo’s expression was grim.

‘Definitely hard.’

He could sense the mana, but controlling it was no easy task.

With skills, recalling the Activation word made the mana move on its own.

At least,

[Red Orb]

Grade: E

Effect

-Converts mana into the power of Low-Grade flame.

Items that transformed mana into an attribute like this made control much easier.

But right now, with nothing, he had to rely solely on his own power to command it.

‘Still, it’s not like I can’t do it.’

Ha Gangwoo kept visualizing.

The flow of mana Zenon had moved. The method, the whole situation.

Had five minutes passed like that?

With a soft whisper, faint smoke rose from Ha Gangwoo’s palm.

At the sight of that mana mass, Zenon’s expression subtly twitched.

‘Already moving it… remarkable.’

Zenon found himself smiling without realizing it.

Barely five minutes after the demonstration. This man before him had already succeeded in mana control.

‘It took Zelta two years… and he did it in five minutes.’

Zenon couldn’t help but marvel at Ha Gangwoo’s talent.

Not content with possessing vast mana reserves, he had the talent to control it in a single stroke. Truly, he was the one from the prophecy.

Ten more minutes passed, and then a whoosh—

Before he knew it, a massive cloud of mana had risen atop Ha Gangwoo’s palm.

“You’ve already gathered it to that size—I’m simply astonished.”

Zenon praised him with a wide smile, then narrowed his eyes.

‘But what comes next won’t be easy.’

Zenon was certain.

The next step wasn’t just gathering mana; he had to materialize it.

Mana Materialization wasn’t a matter of talent. It was perseverance through endless failure and analysis — that alone was the key.

As Zenon watched Ha Gangwoo work, he sank into thought.

“……”

As if mocking Zenon’s certainty,

Click—

the locked chest swung open without resistance.

At the sight, Zenon burst out laughing. “Ahahahaha!”

“I see. I was too hasty in my thinking.”

‘Hasty?’

Ha Gangwoo didn’t understand Zenon’s words, but it didn’t bother him.

Ding-

[You have cleared Zenon’s Teachings.]

[Reward: Mana Materialization [E] acquired.]

Because he had grasped a skill notorious for its difficulty.

Ha Gangwoo immediately checked Mana Materialization.

[Mana Materialization][E]

Grade: S

Type: Passive

Description: Condense mana to achieve materialization.

“S-Rank?!”

According to the information he’d been given, the grade of Mana Materialization varied widely based on clear time and mana application.

There were roughly a dozen people who had received an S-Rank trait here. Ha Gangwoo had just become one of them.

Ha Gangwoo spread his palm open once more and began to gather Mana.

A low thrum filled the air as a sphere roughly the size of a shot put rose up, bobbing gently.

‘This is definitely different.’

It was on a completely different level from before he learned the skill. He had only imagined it, but the Mana condensed and shaped itself into form.

A satisfied smile spread across Ha Gangwoo’s face as he looked at the black box.

‘Alright, let’s do this.’

Now there was only one thing left.

Opening that black box.

Ha Gangwoo slowly stood before the alien object, which was steadily absorbing the light around it.

Watching him, Zenon’s fists clenched tight.

‘Surely he’s not actually going to open it.’

Even though he had led the man here, a sliver of unease crept in.

Zenon had never intended to bring this man to this place.

An alien artifact oozing an ominous aura. He was certain it was an evil entity.

But that man had said it. That everyone carries evil inside them.

He had let his own biases trap him into branding anything foreign as evil.

That was why Zenon had brought Ha Gangwoo here.

A foreign object — a dark but powerful artifact.

Perhaps the relic inside could be the one thing that would save the world, depending on who wielded it.

Zenon stroked his beard, eyeing Ha Gangwoo with clear interest.

Right then.

A soft rustle —

Ha Gangwoo vanished from sight once more.

Five seconds passed. Then, with a metallic clank, the tightly sealed box began to creak open, groaning on its hinges.

In an instant, thick darkness flooded the interior, swallowing the brilliant light that had filled it.

“Ah… No!!!!!”

Startled by the overwhelming aura, Zenon stumbled backward and fell flat on the floor.

***

With a grinding screech—

The pitch-black box yawned wide, its jaws gaping open.

Ha Gangwoo dropped both Invisible and Demonization, and stared into the box.

Even with the lid thrown wide open, the interior remained pitch-black, as if the space itself had been sealed off from the world.

‘So there actually is something in there.’

Gangwoo could sense the item inside with his Sense stat.

A single anomalous item. That was all the box contained.

“Incredible, truly incredible! To think you could break a seal that powerful!!!”

Zenon shouted, bellowing with laughter.

Ding-

[You have cleared Zenon’s Secret — DLC Hidden.]

[The reward is inside the box.]

A welcome notification chimed.

A satisfied smile crossing his face, Gangwoo reached his hand toward the box.

Crackle-

But the moment his fingers touched it, sparks flew again.

‘So it won’t just hand it over…’

Even with the box open, it remained locked, as if only someone bearing Demonic energy could claim its contents.

Gangwoo frowned and checked his remaining MP.

[MP: 21/242]

It would refill quickly at 2 per second, but he wanted to pull the item out right now.

‘Just use it.’

Gangwoo decided to activate Demonization in front of Zenon.

With his back to Zenon, he triggered Demonization. The skin across his entire body turned black, and the whites of his eyes darkened.

Ominous red pupils rose within his blackened sclera, and Gangwoo slowly shifted his gaze toward the box.

The moment he looked at it, a sinister smile crept across his face.

‘So this is the Demon Eye.’

The interior, an unnatural darkness that seemed to absorb light, now lay fully exposed.

What had been invisible before was now crystal clear.

‘Interesting.’

Still wearing a faint smile, Gangwoo reached into the box and retrieved the item inside.

Ding-

[You have acquired Barzel’s Appetite.]

The moment Gangwoo claimed the item,

Shhhk-

The pitch-black box dissolved into dust and vanished.

***

Gangwoo lay in a peaceful flower field, gazing up at the clear sky.

A blue sky, two suns.

The breeze, fresh and invigorating, sent petals scattering through the air, grounding the scene in reality.

‘What do I do now.’

Lying there in the field, Gangwoo sank into thought.

After the black box vanished, Zenon had made a polite request to him.

Fortunately, it seemed he hadn’t sensed the Demonic energy — no awkward questions followed.

[Would you please join this old man in working together for the sake of Skypier?]

The Scenario continued exactly as written in the clearing guide.

He had expected the DLC — Another Story — to change what came next, but afterward the differences were minimal.

They arrived where Evan’s party was stationed, exchanged words, and clashed over opinions.

Which brought him to the present situation.

Only the final choice remained.

Gangwoo had asked for time to think, and was now sorting out his options here.

There were four choices available.

1. Evan Route: Go with Evan to Skeron, the largest faction in Skypier, and request aid.

2. Shamiel Route: Help Shamiel take her revenge and depart for Ir Castle.

3. Zenon Route: Use the western monster Zenon proposed to launch an assault on the Teron Kingdom.

4. Kingdom Route: Impossible without party members.

‘Tough call.’

There were plenty of other ways to proceed, but those were the mainstream options.

One problem, though.

The DLC—Another Story—had rewritten the Scenario’s content. That made this choice critical.

Ha Gangwoo furrowed his brow, dragging a hand across his forehead. No matter how he turned it over, no good plan surfaced.

‘Check the rewards first.’

He shelved the dead-end dilemma for now.

Ha Gangwoo, who’d been lying down, pushed himself upright in the center of the flower field and sat cross-legged.

“Come over here!”

“Got it!”

Mik!

Beside Ha Gangwoo, Rain and Teil were playing with Mimic. It was noisy enough to grate, but a wave of ease washed through a corner of his heart.

‘Is this really my warehouse?’

All that talk of loyalty, and yet Mimic showed no sign of ever leaving Teil and Rain’s side.

‘Doesn’t matter.’

Mimic was nothing more, nothing less, than a warehouse. For now, staying with those two seemed the safest option.

Ha Gangwoo turned his gaze and stared straight ahead.

‘First, let’s check the reward.’

Ding-

[Barzel’s Appetite has been retrieved from Inventory.]

In an instant, the item snapped into Ha Gangwoo’s palm.

A black, rippling thing—alien and wrong. It was a half-glove, like a sports glove but with the fingers exposed.

The aura it gave off was every bit as ominous as the black box had been.

Ha Gangwoo immediately checked the item’s effects.

A wide grin spread across his face.

[Barzel’s Appetite]

Grade: ???

“What the hell is this?”

A ???-grade item.

On par with Lucifel’s Ring, its effect was downright game-breaking.