*Fizzle*

Black smoke curled up like the paper had been burned to cinders.

“What the hell? It exploded? Did he use a skill?”

“No way… that can’t be it. Maybe the paper just couldn’t take it?”

The onlookers watched the scene, not understanding what had just happened.

Except for one person: Emily Nancy.

‘Th-That… that’s even possible?!’

Emily clenched both fists without realizing it.

The Mana Measurement Paper couldn’t withstand the mana and burst—something nearly impossible was unfolding right before her eyes.

‘What in the world did he do to make it explode?’

Thump—thump—

Emily’s heart started racing at the absurdity of the situation.

‘I want him.’

Emily Nancy licked her lips as she looked at Ha Gangwoo.

Meanwhile.

Ha Gangwoo brushed off the charred remains of the paper and scratched his cheek.

‘What the hell. Why’d it blow up.’

He’d only pushed his Sense to the max and infused mana into it—yet the paper had torn apart.

‘So what happens to the score?’

Just as Ha Gangwoo was floundering, staring at the burnt sheet,

one of the trainees piped up with a question.

“The paper burned up—what does that mean? Do we retake it? Or is he out?”

She voiced her doubt over the unplanned turn of events.

Emily Nancy strolled forward leisurely, a wide smile blooming across her face.

“There’s no need for a retest. The top rank goes to Player Ha Gangwoo.”

“What?”

Emily’s firm tone silenced the trainees. But one woman stepped forward.

“But there’s no score… I think a retry is the right call!”

That woman was Olivia, who’d achieved 301 points.

“We didn’t even get a score, and suddenly he’s first place? I know L-Grade is impressive, but this feels unfair.”

“Yeah. Let’s just redo it.”

The other trainees echoed Olivia’s sentiment. After all, with no score to show, declaring him first place out of nowhere was bound to stir complaints.

But Emily Nancy, without a word, pulled a [Mana Measurement Paper] from her Inventory.

Then she funneled her mana into the sheet.

Ding-

[995]

“Whoa! Check out that score. That’s insane.”

“As expected from a Ranker…”

As everyone marveled at the figure, Emily slowly parted her lips.

“See that? That score you just saw is my personal best. No matter how much mana I pour in, it never bursts like that.”

At her words, the trainees swallowed dryly.

“Th-then that means…”

“No way. You’re not saying it burst because the score was too high, right?”

They all asked in disbelief, and Emily continued flatly.

“Exactly. The paper couldn’t handle the mana and gave out. Even if he retries, the result will be the same.”

As Emily Nancy laid out the reality, the trainees’ mouths fell open, and they turned to Ha Gangwoo with sparkling eyes.

“F-freaking insane!!”

“That’s impossible… Even if he’s L-Grade, he can’t be past level 50 yet.”

Everyone was unable to contain their excitement over the impossible situation.

As the trainees buzzed with animated chatter,

“Then I’ll wrap the training here.”

Emily Nancy ended the session like that.

At that, Olivia dropped her head and grit her teeth.

‘What kind of bullshit is this…’

Olivia never stopped pushing. She wanted the Mage class, and she built her dreams watching Emily Nancy.

She passed Zenon’s trial, too, and just now achieved the triumph of a 301 on the written exam.

And still, she couldn’t break the highest score.

At some point, Olivia’s hands were trembling.

‘It’s infuriating…’

It stung too much. A wall she could never reach, no matter how hard she tried. That was what she felt.

She was sagging like that, tears welling in her eyes, when—

“What are you doing? Come on, hurry.”

Emily Nancy called out to Olivia.

In that instant, Olivia looked at Emily through vision blurred with tears.

Emily Nancy was beaming, waving her hand back and forth as if beckoning her over.

Olivia’s face went blank as she asked.

“Huh?! I… I get to come too?”

“Of course. You did score first place, didn’t you?”

Emily Nancy tilted her head as she answered, and a bright smile spread across Olivia’s face.

“Yes! Thank you!!!!”

And so Emily Nancy, Ha Gangwoo, and Olivia Ren headed out of the training room.

***

“Whoa!!! This feels like a dream!”

Olivia kept flashing smiles at Ha Gangwoo as she spoke.

Without a word, Ha Gangwoo followed behind Emily Nancy, scratching the back of his head.

‘Why’d she have to drag this woman along.’

He had a mild grievance, but it helped him guess why Emily had approached him in the first place.

‘She’s scouting talent.’

Olivia Ren’s Mana control was sharper than any other trainee’s.

Honestly, if he hadn’t learned Jaenon’s teachings, Gangwoo would’ve been outclassed by Olivia too. That’s how he knew.

Emily Nancy was hunting for talent.

Gangwoo walked out of the training room behind Emily. As they emerged, a man approached as if he’d been waiting.

A foreigner in a crisp suit, hair cropped in a clean sports cut.

The man bowed to Emily at a perfect ninety degrees.

“Good work. I’ve prepared the dining area. You can head straight there.”

“Thank you, Madre.”

Emily replied with a smile, then introduced Ha Gangwoo and Olivia to Madre.

“I told you I’d be coming, right? This is Mr. Ha, an L-Grade Player. Oh! And this is Ms. Ren, Olivia Ren.”

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Madre Silvio, aide to Ms. Nancy.”

Madre gave a polite bow to Gangwoo and Olivia.

Gangwoo’s gaze sharpened as he studied Madre.

‘Aide to Emily?’

Was this a follower? A colleague? One thing was certain—this man was at least Seo Hyorin’s equal, if not stronger.

Gangwoo narrowed his eyes, fixing Madre with a cold stare.

“Nice to meet you! Wow~ You’re Mr. Silvio, Rank 919, right? I saw you on TV last time!”

Olivia gushed, grabbing Madre’s hand and shaking it enthusiastically.

“Yes. A pleasure.”

Madre returned the greeting with formal courtesy, but Ha Gangwoo’s brow furrowed as he looked at him.

As the greetings wound down.

Emily pushed Gangwoo and Olivia forward toward Madre.

“I have an errand to run. Madre, please escort them to the restaurant first. I’ll be there within ten minutes.”

“Understood.”

Madre bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle, and Emily waved to Gangwoo and Olivia before disappearing.

“Right this way.”

“Yes!”

“…”

And so, Gangwoo followed Madre out of the Association building.

***

Gangwoo walked with his hands clasped behind his head, fingers laced, taking in the path.

They passed through a considerable crowd before a secluded alley came into view.

“Isn’t it kind of creepy? Must be a restaurant for high-rankers only! It’s gotta be super expensive and delicious, right?”

Olivia pressed close to Gangwoo and whispered right against his ear.

“Maybe.”

Gangwoo found her proximity uncomfortable and nudged her away with his shoulder. She fixed her gaze on the box on his shoulder.

“But I’ve been curious about this from the start. What is it? Some new shoulder accessory?”

Olivia adjusted her glasses with keen interest and stared at the box, eyes boring into it.

At that exact moment. Mik! The box let out a sound and quivered,

“Aaah!!! You scared me.”

Olivia yelped, startled.

“What is it? A Summoned Beast? That’s so weird. The box is moving.”

Olivia tilted her head in wonder at the Mimic.

Gangwoo found her mildly annoying, but it barely registered.

‘Annoying.’

The reason was simple.

It was entirely because of the man before him — Madre Silvio.

A murderous intent that had been pouring from him since their first meeting.

Even now, staring straight ahead, Madre was fixed on Gangwoo.

As if he might strike at any moment.

Gangwoo narrowed his eyes, watching him without blinking.

“Oh! Speaking of which, you said you’re L-Grade, Gangwoo-ssi. You’re a huge celebrity. By any chance, the Scenario—”

Olivia’s small mouth was still running when,

Gangwoo grabbed her arm and yanked.

Shhk—

“Aaah!!”

Olivia was pulled into Gangwoo’s chest.

“Huh?! Wh-What are you doing all of a sudden?”

Olivia’s face flushed at the suddenness of it, and just as she looked up at Gangwoo,

Drip—

A droplet of blood slid down the tip of Olivia’s cheek.

“Huh?!”

Olivia touched her stinging cheek, then stared straight ahead.

A man stood there, longsword drawn, eyes murderous. It was Madre.

Olivia was at a loss, utterly confused by the situation.

Emily’s longtime colleague, ranked 919th in the world. Reliable, without a doubt. Yet now he’d drawn his sword without a word.

“M-Madre?”

Olivia’s voice came out with a faint tremor, but Madre’s face showed no change at all.

Just the quiet shiiing of him gripping that murderous black blade.

“It’s dangerous — run.”

Ha Gangwoo shoved Olivia’s back.

“What?”

Olivia hesitated, confused, but the ominous tension drove her feet. She turned and sprinted back the way they’d come.

And in that split second—

“Uh?!”

Goosebumps erupted across Ha Gangwoo’s entire body.

Shiiing—

A blade swept past his face. Too fast to even react.

“Aagh!!!!”

A scream tore through the air.

Gangwoo whipped his head toward the source—

“Ugh… uuaah… it hurts so much… …please… save me…”

Olivia lay crumpled on the ground. Her leg twisted in a grotesque angle, writhing against the floor.

Madre’s sword energy carved through her leg, severing it cleanly.

“Ah… it hurts…”

Olivia sobbed, tears streaming down her face as she wailed.

Madre pulled a small Potion from his Inventory and tossed it at her feet.

“This’ll be over soon. Drink that and wait. I’ll heal your wound perfectly.”

His voice was mechanical. If he was going to heal her anyway, why do this at all?

Questions piled up, but Ha Gangwoo lowered his stance and focused on Madre’s energy.

‘A monster.’

Rank 919, was it? As advertised—a living monster.

Gangwoo’s Stats, at best, hovered around level 70.

Even with Demonization, he’d only match an ungeared max-level player. That wasn’t enough to face a Ranker.

‘What’s his angle? Did Emily put him up to this? Wasn’t this supposed to be a talent search?’

Thoughts churned, but one thing was certain: he was in danger now.

Ha Gangwoo called the Big Glaive into his hand. The heavy weight pulled his body forward.

“What’s your aim? Is this okay for someone from the Association?”

Gangwoo asked, keeping his voice as calm as he could. Madre gripped his longsword with both hands and murmured low.

“In this world, as long as you have power, a bit of injustice like this doesn’t matter.”

His eyes glinted with murderous intent as he continued.

“Just prove it to me. Show me power enough to convince me. Depending on the outcome, I’ll handle it on my end, so give it your all.”

“What?”

Madre had spat out words that made no sense.

‘Convince him?’

He’d asked to have a meal, then drawn his sword out of nowhere. Now he wanted to be convinced. What kind of absurd situation was this?

But Gangwoo had a rough idea.

‘He doesn’t like me.’

Emily wanted Ha Gangwoo, but Madre himself was doubtful. That’s how it felt.

‘A Ranker… I’m curious.’

A smile spread across Ha Gangwoo’s lips.

The chance to fight a Ranker—a PVP that would let him measure himself against that level. That was what thrilled him.

‘Let’s do this.’

–

Thump. Thump—

Adrenaline flooded through Ha Gangwoo’s body, sharpened by a strange tension.

The standoff stretched, and it was Madre who finally broke it.

“If you won’t come, I’ll go first.”

The words barely left his mouth before his form vanished. No—it was too fast to track, as if he’d simply disappeared.

Ha Gangwoo bared his teeth in a wide grin, then pushed his senses to the limit. Even that wasn’t enough.

‘Demonization.’

Ding-

[You have used Demonization.]

[All stats have increased by 100%.]

His eyes flushed red, warped by the Demon Eye. The gap filled.

Shshsh—

The Demon Eye caught Madre’s form.

Fwoosh—

He was already right at Gangwoo’s side, fist already swinging—a straightforward attempt to crush him with raw Strength.

Ha Gangwoo swept his Big Glaive up and set it in the fist’s trajectory.

Clang!!!

The moment fist met glaive, an immense shockwave erupted.

Krrrrash— Ha Gangwoo’s feet skidded across the floor as he was shoved back.

Eyes flashing, he stared at Madre.

‘His Strength is insane.’

Overwhelming raw power. No wonder the guy held Rank 919—the number wasn’t just for show.

‘How far will it go?’

But satisfaction brimmed on Ha Gangwoo’s face. Because this fight felt like it would finally satisfy his curiosity.

Strength: 110 (+311)

Agility: 80 (+147)

Vitality: 86 (+383)

Mana: 65 (+301)

Sense: 60 (+112)

Luck: 60 (+112)

The overwhelming stats from that DLC package—just how far would they take him?

Madre rolled his fist lazily, his voice low.

“A demon-race trait? To block that… not a bad start, I suppose.”

Ha Gangwoo’s gaze sharpened on him.

Immaculate suit, longsword held in one hand, a chilling smile on his lips.

Then a thought flashed through Gangwoo’s mind.

‘Without that, I might have a chance.’

He was looking at Madre’s equipment.

A single longsword—that was all he had equipped. Gangwoo had felt it from that one exchange.

‘Bare-handed, I can take him.’

Meaning Madre’s Strength was at a manageable level.

But that longsword he was holding—if he could get rid of that, it would be doable.

‘Let’s try.’

Whether it would work or not, Ha Gangwoo stowed the Big Glaive into his Inventory.

Madre’s expression flickered, a barely perceptible twitch.

The opponent had just put away his weapon, raised both fists, and settled into a fighting stance.

It meant only one thing.

‘You think you can handle me bare-handed?’

Madre’s face flattened as he looked at Gangwoo.

‘Interesting.’

How he’d reacted to her speed was interesting enough, but the fact that he didn’t flinch in the slightest against a Ranker—that marked him as different from the start.

‘I’ll accept.’

When a minion stepped up like that, there was no reason to refuse.

Madre exhaled a thick killing intent, then stowed her longsword in her Inventory.

Ha Gangwoo looked at Madre and curled his lip in a sneer.

‘Yeah. That’s how it should be.’

To Madre, Ha Gangwoo looked like a fresh-faced Player without a single item.

But Gangwoo had a full set equipped via Costume. That meant there was effectively no stat gap between them.

‘I can work with this.’

The moment Madre put her longsword into her Inventory, the pressure she radiated dropped sharply.

Ha Gangwoo kept his face flat and lowered his stance.

An eerie killing intent washed over his whole body. Even just standing here facing her, every nerve in him bristled.

The brief standoff stretched on.

Madre’s cold voice cut through the silence.

“Did you earn that L-Grade as a decoration? After you.”

Ha Gangwoo answered the taunt by spreading his legs wide and planting his posture.

‘Let’s go.’

He thrust his right foot forward.

*Thud!*

[Swift Movements] [ON]

[Movement speed increased by 50%.]

A faint blue light coiled around both his legs.

Ha Gangwoo kicked off his back foot.

*Boom!!* The ground where his foot landed screamed and burst apart. *Whoosh-* Ha Gangwoo’s form tore across the earth.

*Cracklecrash-*

Ha Gangwoo’s Agility stat was 147.

The moment Swift Movements and the movement-speed bonus from the Costume set effect combined—

*Ding-*

[Movement speed increased by 100%.]

He instantly surpassed Madre’s reaction speed.

‘What?!’

Madre saw Ha Gangwoo appear right in front of her and she grinned, baring her teeth, then burst into loud laughter.

‘Interesting.’

A rookie who hadn’t even done a Job Change. A greenhorn fresh out of the Tutorial—and yet he’d momentarily outclassed her own Agility stat.

Ha Gangwoo used his explosive speed to drive into Madre’s guard.

Madre shifted her legs, trying to create distance.

Ha Gangwoo loaded his weight onto his right leg.

‘Seismic Stomp.’

*Clang!!!*

The ground around him screamed and split with a sharp *crack-*

*Zing-* The vibration spread through the earth.

Right then, a fracture appeared in Madre’s footwork.

Ha Gangwoo didn’t miss the opening.

‘There!’

A gleam flashed in his eyes.

A split-second gap.

He’d caught a faint opening near Madre’s right ribcage.

*Surging-*

A violet radiance rippled through Ha Gangwoo’s entire body.

*Ding-*

[Extreme Strike Stance has been activated.]

[The next attack will have 10x destructive power.]

But that alone wasn’t enough.

Ha Gangwoo clenched his fist and condensed his mana.

A sinister smile crept across his face as he called it to mind.

Action Skip—the activation word Emily Nancy had taught him.

It wasn’t just about skipping an action. It was a supreme technique that allowed for versatile applications of skills.

And Gangwoo had decided to apply it.

He shifted the mana he’d gathered to the extreme into his fist, loaded his weight onto it, and brought the activation word to the forefront of his mind.

‘Seismic Stomp.’

At that very instant—

Ding-

[You have gained great insight.]

[By applying Seismic Stomp, you have learned Force Discharge.]

The welcome notification chimed, and at the same time—

Crack!!!!!

A massive blast hammered into Madre’s ribcage.

Gushing—

Bright red blood burst from Madre’s mouth.