[DLC-Shop]

DLC-Book of Job Change: Elemental Master – 500,000,000 Gold

DLC-Equipment Window Upgrade – 80,000,000 Gold

DLC-Costume Set Box – 18,000,000 Gold

(Refresh)

Ha Gangwoo, a satisfied smile still on his lips, looked over the item list.

“Yeah, this is good.”

[DLC-Equipment Window Upgrade]

Grade: B

Description: The DLC-Equipment Window has been restructured. The system for the newly released Equipment Window has been overhauled. Enjoy the Gaia System more easily and conveniently.

Effects

– Ring Slot +1

– Bracelet Slot +1

– Lock function added.

Quantity: 1

Purchase Price: 80,000,000 Gold

A whopping extra equipment slot.

In the Gaia System, gear strength matters more than raw level power.

Just look at the item gleaming in his hand right now.

[Luminel Ring]

Grade: B

Durability: 56/60

Mana: +110

Vitality: +120

Description: A ring with an elegant, antique design.

For a B-grade item, the stats were enormous.

But even with great items, the Equipment Window’s limits forced you to choose.

Wasn’t Ha Gangwoo himself carrying the Warp Ring in his Inventory right now? But with that DLC, that restriction vanished.

‘I’m buying it.’

An 80-million-gold item. He could’ve hesitated, but this was a must-buy.

Ding-

[You have purchased the DLC-Equipment Window Upgrade.]

Ha Gangwoo held the DLC-Pack in his hand and checked his remaining Gold.

[Gold Held: 111,566,500 Gold]

‘Not much left.’

Ha Gangwoo frowned at the remaining Gold. Now he only had a paltry 100 million left; he’d have to scrape for ways to get money.

‘What do I do?’

If he had to find a way, there were a few.

1. Use the Auction House, which has no fee cap, to buy up a single item.

2. Put DLC products on the market.

3. Selling items from leveling up and hunting.

4. Gambling gold through PVP or games.

‘Hmm…’

The easiest method was still number two. But if he was going to sell DLC items, the only thing he had was a Book of Job Change.

Since he didn’t know which class to choose yet, he couldn’t afford to sell it recklessly.

‘Tough call.’

If he wanted to go darker, there was extorting money through Brainwash, assassination contracts — plenty of options. But none of them sat right with him.

Ha Gangwoo turned the problem over in his mind again, then shook his head.

‘Let’s just think about it later.’

The Refresh Cooldown was still ticking down anyway. No point rushing.

Ding—

[DLC — Equipment Window Upgrade has been used.]

[Ring slot has been increased by 1.]

[Bracelet slot has been increased by 1.]

[Lock function has been added.]

The moment he used it, system windows flooded his vision in a dizzying cascade.

Ha Gangwoo opened the Equipment window with a tense expression.

[Equipment Window]

Weapon: Barzel’s Appetite [Lock/Unlock]

Weapon:

Helmet:

Top: Red Steel Top [Lock/Unlock]

Bottom: Red Steel Bottom [Lock/Unlock]

Belt: Gravity Belt [Lock/Unlock]

Shoes: Red Steel Boots [Lock/Unlock]

Necklace: Spell’s Madness [Lock/Unlock]

Ring: Luminel Ring [Lock/Unlock]

Ring: Lucifel’s Ring [Lock/Unlock]

Ring:

Bracelet: Reins’ Armlet [Lock/Unlock]

Bracelet:

‘There.’

Ha Gangwoo gazed at the Equipment window and broke into a satisfied smile.

The ring slots, which had been a meager two, were now three. The bracelet slots had grown to two.

‘Let’s equip them.’

He pulled the Warp Ring from his Inventory.

[Warp Ring has been retrieved from the Inventory.]

In an instant, the Warp Ring materialized on his index finger.

Ding—

[Warp Ring has been equipped.]

[Please set the destination.]

-Warp Altar 1 – [Antero’s Resting Place]

-Warp Altar 2 – [Association]

-Warp Altar 3 – [Hope Repository]

-Warp Altar 4 – [Scenario 1]

Even with three rings equipped, the effect was still active.

But a question surfaced.

[Weapon: Barzel’s Appetite] [Lock/Unlock]

‘Unlock?’

It was because of the icon that had appeared on the Equipment window.

*Lock function: Allows you to lock equipped items. You will no longer lose items to opponents.

‘No longer lose them?’

The description was a bit ambiguous. ‘No longer lose them’ — what exactly did that mean?

‘Let’s test it.’

Ha Gangwoo immediately set Barzel’s Appetite to Lock status.

Ding—

[Barzel’s Appetite has been locked.]

Ha Gangwoo stared at Barzel’s Appetite, the black half-gauntlet, with a curious expression. There was no visible change whatsoever.

If so, there was only one experiment to run.

‘Does that mean it can’t be unequipped?’

He tried taking off the equipped item.

Ha Gangwoo grabbed Barzel’s Appetite and pulled it off like peeling a sock.

Srrp—

The ring slid off his finger with absurd ease.

‘What the hell?’

Ha Gangwoo furrowed his brow, sinking into thought.

‘Wasn’t there a Lock function? Then why did it come off? Unless…’

A suspicion flickered to life. He immediately opened the Equipment window.

[Weapon: Barzel’s Appetite] [Lock]

‘Huh?!’

Ha Gangwoo grinned at the screen.

Because the effect was still active—even with the item unequipped.

A flood of curiosity surged up.

‘Would it hold if my arm got chopped off? What if it’s far from my body?’

He didn’t feel like testing the amputation part, but the distance was worth a shot.

Ha Gangwoo hurled Barzel’s Appetite onto the floor.

It landed like a tossed towel—pathetic, with a dull thud.

Right at that instant—

Mik!!!

Mimic shot forward like a mad thing. He hadn’t even given an order, but she’d decided to stash it away on her own.

“Stop!”

Mik!

Whether from training or instinct, she froze at the command.

Ha Gangwoo looked back at the Equipment window.

[Weapon: Barzel’s Appetite] [Lock]

The effect was still holding.

“It works. But is this it?”

The current effect alone was insane, but the description nagged at him.

*Lock Function: Allows you to lock an equipped item. You will no longer have items stolen from you.

No longer stolen? If that item on the floor was a weapon, wasn’t that already losing it?

Ha Gangwoo stroked his chin, lost in thought. Then a spark flashed through his mind.

‘No way.’

He stretched out his right hand and invoked the Activation Word.

‘Barzel’s Appetite.’

Right at that moment—

Srrp—

The ring lying on the floor blurred at the edges, then *sucked* itself right into his hand.

Ha Gangwoo clenched his fist and smiled.

“That’s insane.”

An item bought just to add ring and bracelet slots.

Eighty million Gold had seemed plenty. But the real gem was the Lock function all along.

‘Good thing I bought it.’

Ha Gangwoo wore a satisfied look as he turned his attention to the remaining items.

Two items left now.

[DLC-Shop]

DLC-Book of Job Change: Elemental Master – 500,000,000 Gold

–

DLC-Costume Set Box – 18,000,000 Gold

(Refresh)

‘Hmm…’

Ha Gangwoo rubbed his chin, studying the list.

The Book of Job Change looked no different from any other item.

[DLC-Book of Job Change: Elemental Master]

Grade: A

Description: DLC – Elemental Master released. A tome containing the principles of all elements.

-Job Change Quest: Acquired ‘Elemental Lord’.

Quantity: 1

Purchase Price: 500,000,000 Gold

If you had to pick what stood out, it was the absurd price tag.

Ha Gangwoo frowned at the purchase cost.

‘Figures… way too expensive.’

Five hundred million Gold wasn’t pocket change you scraped together overnight.

He barely had time to level up as it was—buying this seemed out of reach.

‘An Elemental Master… that’s a mage-class job, right?’

Ha Gangwoo extended his index finger and channeled his mana.

Thrum—

Mana coalesced into a perfect sphere.

[Mana Materialization][E]

Grade: S

Type: Passive

Description: Condense mana to achieve materialization.

A skill learned from Zenon—ranked a staggering S-Rank.

Any player dreaming of a mage class would gape in envy at a grade like that.

“‘Now I get it.'”

Ha Gangwoo understood why mage-class players had to learn Mana Materialization as a staple.

Fssss—

He dispersed the mana sphere on his fingertip and opened his palm.

‘Fireball.’

The moment the activation word crossed his mind—

Whoosh—

A flame sphere the size of a ping-pong ball rose above his palm.

[2 MP consumed.]

[2 MP consumed.]

……

…

..

.

Before he knew it, the Fireball had swelled to the size of a softball.

Gangwoo applied Mana Materialization on the fly.

[5 MP consumed.]

[5 MP consumed.]

[5 MP consumed.]

…..

..

.

Mana Materialization was a skill that condensed mana into physical form.

Whoosh—

The Fireball in Ha Gangwoo’s hand shrank back down to the size of a ping-pong ball.

But—

[10 HP damage received.]

[10 HP damage received.]

……

….

..

.

The heat was genuinely immense.

It had pushed his body to the point where he couldn’t withstand it, taking burns.

‘My body can’t handle this.’

Ha Gangwoo wore a satisfied smile as he crushed the Fireball in his grip, extinguishing it.

Fsssss—

Smoke curled up from the crushed Barzel’s Appetite.

[Satiety decreased by 1.]

‘Good.’

Condensing a spell like this amplified the skill’s power.

To a mage class, this was practically a dream skill.

‘That was worth learning.’

This skill had plenty of applications for future use — he could already see it.

‘Yeah, I’ve gotta buy it.’

[DLC — Book of Job Change: Elemental Master]

He’d originally planned to pass on it because of the price, but it seemed like a good investment.

‘That just leaves one thing, then.’

Ha Gangwoo glanced over the remaining DLC Shop listings.

[DLC — Costume Set Box]

Grade: B

Description: A box containing a Costume Set. Contains a random Costume Set.

Effect:

– Grants 4 random Costumes.

Quantity: 1

Purchase Price: 18,000,000 Gold

‘Might as well.’

He wasn’t exactly flush with cash, but hadn’t he already tasted the charm of Costumes? Buying it seemed like the right call.

Ding-

[You have purchased a DLC-Costume Set Box.]

The instant the purchase went through, a fairly large box plopped onto the bed.

His heart thumped.

‘Wonder what I’ll get.’

This moment was always the best part.

The anticipation of not knowing what would pop out — the addictive thrill the DLC Shop peddled. It made him giddy.

‘Let’s tear it open.’

Ha Gangwoo pulled the cord wrapped around the box and flipped the lid open.

Poof — a burst of smoke, and the Costume Set appeared.

“A uniform?”

[Redgun Uniform Cap]

[Redgun Uniform Top]

[Redgun Uniform Bottom]

[Redgun Uniform Shoes]

A crisp-looking set of clothes on a black base.

“Not bad.”

Gangwoo wore a satisfied expression at the pleasing look, then checked the effects.

[Redgun Uniform Cap]

Grade: A

Durability: 60/60

Description: A uniform released exclusively for Redgun executives. Made from special fabric, it boasts excellent durability.

Effect:

– All Stats +10

* Set Effect (0/4)

– Movement Speed +50%.

– All Stats +20%.

“Holy shit.”

Gangwoo’s jaw dropped as he read the effects.

All Stats +10 was already massive, but tack on the set bonus — 50% movement speed and 20% All Stats?

That was better than a fair number of A-rank passive skills.

“Damn glad I bought it.”

His black hoodie and pants were already wearing out from combat, their durability running on fumes. This was the perfect upgrade.

[You have equipped the Redgun Uniform Cap.]

[You have equipped the Redgun Uniform Top.]

…

..

.

Gangwoo put on the Costume and looked into the mirror.

The sharp, angular cut — almost like a police uniform — suited him surprisingly well.

“How much did I gain, I wonder.”

The Costume he had on right now alone added 40 to All Stats. With the set effect on top of that, his numbers had skyrocketed. He was dying to see his actual stats.

Gangwoo wore a pleased look as he opened his Status Window.

[Ha Gangwoo]

Level: 40

HP: 3,830 / 3,830

MP: 301 / 301

Strength: 110 (+201)

Agility: 80 (+67)

Vitality: 86 (+297)

Mana: 65 (+236)

Sense: 60 (+52)

Luck: 60 (+52)

“Good.”

The sight of that Status Window sent his spirits soaring.

Even a full set of decent C-grade gear wouldn’t stack this high.

‘Let’s see how far this gets me.’

His raw stats rivaled any player in their seventies. On top of that, he had Demonization — a broken Artifact — and Barzel’s Appetite, which only grew stronger the more he fed it.

‘I’m curious.’

Ha Gangwoo wanted to test his limits. But there was something he needed to do first.

He straightened his tie, tugged the lapels of his uniform, and started walking.

‘Let’s get some work done first.’

Namely, feeding Barzel’s Appetite to bring down its Satiety.

And the Association happened to have the perfect place for it.

***

Ha Gangwoo walked down the Association corridor, hands clasped behind his head, fingers laced.

His uniform was too tight to fit the Mimic in his pocket.

Mik!

The Mimic was perched on his shoulder instead. How a box without hands managed not to fall off was a mystery.

‘It should be around here somewhere.’

Ha Gangwoo glanced around, scanning for a sign.

He was headed for the training room — a facility provided by the Association.

To lower its Satiety, he had to use the weapon.

He could jump into a Scenario and fight right now, but the five demons there were weaker than Serchel — so even a fight wouldn’t drop Satiety by more than 20.

That’s why he was looking for a punching bag sturdy enough to take his fists.

“Found it.”

[Player Training Room ▶]

The sign was easy enough to spot.

But right at that moment —

“Whoa!!”

A foreign woman crashed head-first into the wall right in front of Ha Gangwoo, then tumbled backward onto the floor.

‘…’

The wall she hit had a deep dent in it. Definitely a Player.

“Ow, ow, ow…”

The woman winced, rubbing her forehead. She straightened her crooked glasses and slowly turned her head toward Ha Gangwoo.

Their eyes met.

He looked away fast, fixing his gaze on the training room.

‘Just ignore it.’

Ha Gangwoo stepped past her. He wasn’t the type to stop and help a stranger up.

“Excuse me.”

But the woman called out to him.

‘This feels off.’

A sudden wave of bad vibes. He should’ve known. The woman strode right toward him.

“Um, excuse me…”

They were in the Association.

Ha Gangwoo hadn’t changed his face — he needed his identity here.

From how people had acted before, she was definitely going to ask for a photo or an autograph.

Ha Gangwoo scowled in annoyance and cut her off.

“No pictures.”

“Huh? That’s not what I…”

“I said, no pictures.”

Just as he thought — persistent and clingy.

But the woman shoved a piece of paper into his hands and asked,

“Excuse me. I was hoping to ask for directions. Are you busy? I could use a hand.”

Ha Gangwoo studied the woman’s face. From her eyes and expression, she didn’t seem to be lying.

“Oh… sure. One moment.”

Ha Gangwoo scratched his cheek, embarrassed, and took the paper she held out.

[Player Training Room Map]

A rough guide to the training room.

She’d been heading there too.

Ha Gangwoo looked at her. She winced and rubbed her forehead, still sore.

‘She really doesn’t know.’

Since he was heading to the training room anyway, there was no reason to refuse.

“Let’s go together. I was headed that way too.”

“Wow~! Really? Thanks! I’m kind of terrible with directions. Hehehe.”””

And so, with Ha Gangwoo leading, they set off toward the training room.

“I’m Olivia Ren. What’s your name?”

She pushed up her glasses and asked.

“Ha Gangwoo.”

At the sound of Ha Gangwoo’s name, Olivia tilted her head and spoke to him.

“Are you heading to the lecture too, Gangwoo?”

“Lecture?”

A lecture, all of a sudden? Was there some event at the training room? Before Ha Gangwoo could ask, Olivia continued.

“Oh! You didn’t know. You know Emily Nancy, right? Current Rank 9, and the world’s top Mage-class player! I heard she’s giving a lesson today! I’m so hyped!”

Olivia clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling.

‘A Rank 9 giving a lesson in Scenario 1 territory?’

Something felt off.

Just as Ha Gangwoo was sinking into thought, recalling the Ranker.

Olivia brushed her lip with her index finger, then spoke to Ha Gangwoo.

“Did you hear that rumor? About the Player who got L-Grade in the Tutorial. Word is they just entered the Association building. Have you seen them?”

Olivia’s eyes glittered as she asked.

Ha Gangwoo rubbed his cheek, embarrassed, and answered her.

“Yes. I saw him.”

There was no point in lying, so I answered honestly. Olivia tilted her head, intrigued, and asked.

“Really? What does he look like? They say he’s incredibly handsome.”

“Well…”

Ha Gangwoo deliberately turned his head to avoid answering, and before he knew it, they had arrived at the training room.

*Creak—*

As the training room door swung open and he stepped inside, about forty-odd Players were gathered.

They were circled around someone, staring as if watching a spectacle.

And that someone was none other than the Ranker, Emily Nancy.

‘That woman is Rank 9.’

Ha Gangwoo could tell the moment he entered. The sheer, absurd Mana radiating from her was unmistakable.

A monster. Rank 9. No less.

Ha Gangwoo and Olivia moved toward them—though Gangwoo’s real target was the machine beyond the group.

Then it happened.

“Whoa?! A real L-Grade Player.”

“He’s actually here! This is insane…”

The trainees had been staring at Nancy, but now they swiveled, eyes locking onto Gangwoo.

Olivia glanced behind herself, tilting her head.

“Huh? Who’s back there? Why are they all looking at us like that?”

As if answering her question, Emily Nancy stepped out from among the forty-odd players.

“Wow!!!! She’s so gorgeous.”

Olivia’s eyes sparkled at the approaching Nancy. Gangwoo frowned.

‘…..’

And so Ha Gangwoo met Rank 9 Emily Nancy for the first time.