“WOOOW!!!!”

The square arena was saturated with cheers.

Ha Gangwoo stood at its center, rotating his arms in wide circles.

He was at the heart of the ring, watched by roughly a hundred spectators.

Whether from the atmosphere or not, his heart began to pound—thump, thump, beating faster.

Hearing that sound, a smile tugged at Gangwoo’s lips.

‘Things are going smoothly.’

He’d secured the Key he wanted, and even extracted a promise from the Castle Lord.

The wager: I’ll grant you anything.

His plan was to seize the Red Golem’s core, then ask to borrow the Golem itself.

‘Let’s focus for now.’

Gangwoo narrowed his eyes as he fixed his gaze on the Golem.

As if sculpted in man’s image, it stood on two legs, eyes glowing sharply.

‘Probably around a D-rank Monster.’

An immense amount of Mana poured from its core. But even at its best, it ranked below the demon he’d fought at Zenon’s hideout.

To Ha Gangwoo, the Red Golem was nothing more than a box holding the Key.

A self-satisfied smile on his face, Gangwoo clenched his fist tight.

Meanwhile—

The citizens of Kedin Castle clicked their tongues at Gangwoo’s display.

“No weapons? He’s fighting bare-fisted?”

“Aigo, he must be from another region—doesn’t know a thing about Golems.”

The most terrifying thing about a Golem was its hardness. A Golem, after all, was the sort that took not a scratch from even a decent blunt weapon.

And he was balling his fist against one? To the citizens’ common sense, it was like trying to break a rock with an egg.

‘I worried for nothing.’

Dikas Skeron, too, couldn’t hide the grin that escaped watching Gangwoo’s display.

‘There’s a limit to how much you can scorn my Golem.’

Even an ordinary Golem would take no damage from a strike by a massive hammer.

The idea of taking on a Red Golem—five times harder than a normal Golem—with nothing but his bare hands went beyond reckless. It was practically stupid.

‘I’ll take that relic off your hands nicely.’

Dikas beamed, delighted to have obtained a living, breathing relic.

Thrum— A gleam settled in Dikas’s eyes.

‘Go.’

The moment Dikas’s command fell. Creak— The Golem began to move.

The Red Golem was a golem only Dikas could control. The slaughter match had finally begun.

Thud— The Red Golem lunged forward with tremendous speed, its feet pounding the ground.

‘As fast as I thought!’

Dikas grinned, watching its velocity.

Its performance tests were done, but this was its first real combat. Its mobility was on a level that an ordinary Golem couldn’t touch.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Like a sprinter in a full-out dash, the Red Golem reached Ha Gangwoo in an instant.

It swung its heavy fist.

A low thrum filled the air as the Red Golem swung—a being boasting three times the strength of an ordinary Golem.

Maybe that was why even its simplest motion made the air itself waver.

‘I might actually die here.’

Dikas watched the attack coming, a sinister smile curling his lips.

Crack!

As if answering that smile, a deafening impact thundered through the arena.

The shockwave was so immense that the ground trembled from the sheer force.

“Ah… No.”

But Dikas stared at the arena, unable to hide his shock.

The Golem’s fist had been caught effortlessly in Ha Gangwoo’s grip.

A single bead of cold sweat trickled down Dikas’s brow.

“A Red Golem’s strength can easily overpower a hundred grown men, and yet…”

No matter how he looked at it, this made no sense.

“What the hell? I heard Red Golems are five times stronger than regular ones! That thing got caught way too easily!”

To the townsfolk, unaware of the truth, the Red Golem even seemed weak.

But at one man’s words, the residents fell silent.

“Th-That’s impossible… They say a Red Golem is three times stronger than a normal Golem!”

“Aw… no way. That can’t be right.”

The residents, who knew the Golem’s strength, denied it as impossible—but they swallowed dryly, watching the scene unfold.

Meanwhile.

Krrrrick—

The Red Golem let out a grinding shriek, straining to pull its fist free from Ha Gangwoo’s grip.

But Ha Gangwoo’s crushing hold wouldn’t let the Golem’s fist go.

Then, overwhelmed by his strength, the Red Golem’s arm ripped clean out—*Crack!*—torn from its socket.

*Zzzt!* Sparks flew from the Golem’s torn arm.

In an instant, the Red Golem lost its balance and tumbled clumsily across the floor.

“Th-That’s impossible!!!!”

Dikas’s eyes went wide. He shot up from the dais.

The Red Golem—five times the performance of a standard Golem, the crown jewel of Kedin Castle’s arsenal. But if you counted the cost to build it, it was over fifty times the expense of a normal one.

Add in the time and labor poured into it, and it was a treasure that could never be lost. That treasure now lay in shattered pieces, rolling across the floor.

Cold sweat beaded on Dikas Skeron’s jaw and dripped down.

‘No way… Everything they said so far—was it true?’

A demon. The great archmage Zenon dead. He’d thought it was nonsense. But seeing that power lent it credibility.

‘I have to stop them!’

But that fact didn’t matter. Securing the Red Golem was the top priority now!

Dikas filled his lungs with air and bellowed.

“The duel is over!!!”

But as if brushing off that shout entirely—

Crack—shriek—

The Red Golem let out a grotesque sound, split in two, and was brutally torn apart.

“Ah… No……”

Dikas’s mouth hung wide open, stunned. He froze in place.

The townspeople too couldn’t hide their shock at the sight.

“Whoa… Incredible. He smashed that thing with his bare hands.”

“Wh-what the hell is he? Is he even human?”

Overwhelming force.

The townspeople’s eyes sparkled, as if mesmerized.

But not Dikas.

Dikas forced himself to snap out of it, grinding his teeth—gnash.

‘How dare you… destroy my Golem?’

In an instant, Dikas’s mind raced.

A foreign knight who’d appeared out of nowhere. Said a demon had conquered his own kingdom.

Then he’d paraded a frail-looking man as a hero, spinning preposterous tales of heroism.

But the fight just now had made it clear.

That man wielded power to match the stories.

‘Then everything they said so far—was it all true?’

If the tale he’d dismissed as absurd was real, he had to report this crisis to his father immediately.

A demon going around occupying castles. This was a crisis like no other.

But one thing didn’t add up.

‘They came asking for help—so why did they smash the Golem? Why did they propose a bet to grant their request?’

No matter how he thought about it, it was incomprehensible. Destroying a Golem that could have been part of their own forces. That left only one possibility.

‘They ARE the demons!!!’

Once he thought that, everything clicked into place.

Disguised as survivors who’d fled, they’d infiltrated the kingdom naturally.

Penetrate the castle, destroy its military power, and stir up chaos.

‘Terrifying bastards.’

In that moment, fear crept over Dikas’s face. To think they’d stoop to such a cheap method to infiltrate.

Dikas clenched his fists tight, filled his lungs with air, and roared.

“A demon!!! Seize that bastard!!!”

At those words—

Shing—thunk—

Soldiers armed with swords and spears swarmed around Ha Gangwoo, and Evan along with him.

***

For a moment, the townspeople questioned the Castle Lord’s words.

Calling someone a demon just by looking at them out of nowhere. But the source of the bizarre destruction that had shattered the golem—they understood what the Castle Lord meant.

“A—a demon!!!”

“Run!”

The townspeople scattered in utter terror.

In their place, soldiers filled the space in an instant.

Each one carried a sharp sword or spear, forming a ring around Ha Gangwoo.

‘What the hell? Just like that?’

Ha Gangwoo’s brow furrowed at the Castle Lord’s sudden turn.

Everything had been smooth. He’d crushed the Red Golem, shown overwhelming power. And now, out of nowhere, the man was branding him a demon. It made no sense.

‘Is it because I broke the golem?’

Even so, calling him a demon—the only reason he could think of was pure spite.

‘Good thing I smashed it.’

Gangwoo’s eyes sharpened with a cold gleam.

Even if Dikas had asked for the Red Golem’s core under the guise of a request, the situation likely would’ve ended the same way.

After all, his only goal was the key to finding the weapon.

Slowly, Gangwoo bent down and picked up the red sphere from the ground.

‘Is this the core?’

As Gangwoo straightened up gripping the red sphere, Dikas flinched and roared.

“Stop right this instant!!! What are you waiting for! Seize him now!”

The core was the most expensive part. Dikas’s outburst was understandable.

But the soldiers hesitated to get close.

This was the man who’d taken apart a Red Golem like a toy. And wasn’t he a demon, according to the Castle Lord?

For the soldiers, this was a matter of life and death.

Meanwhile,

Gangwoo paid the soldiers no mind at all.

*Why’s it like this?*

Scowling, Gangwoo glanced at his quest window.

[Clue to the Key][DLC Hidden][Sub]

Description: You have discovered a clue to the key. Defeat the Ego Golem and acquire the key.

Reward: ???

Because even though he had obtained the key, the quest hadn’t cleared.

*What? It appeared the moment I accepted the golem’s duel. Is this not the key?*

Hastily, Gangwoo checked the golem core’s status window.

[Red Golem’s Core]

Grade: E

Description: The core that powers the Red Golem. It is imbued with powerful Mana.

‘Red… Golem.’

The golem Dikas had introduced. Its exterior was merely red—he’d thought it was an Ego Golem. But it wasn’t.

‘Then is it one of the golems from underground?’

Gangwoo’s mind churned with the sudden shift.

But Dikas’s roaring only made his head spin further.

“What are you doing!!! I said grab him now!!! If you let him slip away, I won’t forgive any of you!”

The instant Dikas’s shout died, the soldiers thrust their swords and spears toward Ha Gangwoo.

Ha Gangwoo wasn’t the only one under threat.

“Wh-what’s the meaning of this? All of a sudden?”

“E-Evan…”

Evan and Shamiel were surrounded by soldiers, caught in a crisis.

A chill settled in Ha Gangwoo’s eyes.

‘What a hassle.’

He hadn’t even found the key yet, and now these NPCs were getting in his way.

For a second, he wanted to cut them all down—but then he shook his head.

‘Hold it together.’

Killing innocent NPCs would cost him points in the final score.

And the moment he went on a slaughter, he might lose all the affection he’d built up with Evan and Shamiel in one blow.

Gangwoo forced himself calm, slowly opening his palm.

‘Perfect timing.’

He had the ideal skill for neutralizing enemies while keeping the NPCs safe.

‘Paralysis Fog.’

Ding-

[265 MP consumed.]

Fssss—

A thick, billowing fog erupted from Ha Gangwoo’s palm.

It spread in an instant, engulfing the square arena and even the dais where Dikas stood.

“Wh-what is this!?”

The soldiers, blind in the haze, twisted their heads in panic and stumbled backward, away from Dikas.

“What is this! Terion! Protect me!”

“Don’t worry, my lord. Stay still and don’t move.”

At Dikas’s command, his escort knight Terion drew his sword, eyes flashing.

Meanwhile, Ha Gangwoo stretched his Sense to the max, searching for Evan.

‘No time to waste.’

*Paralysis Fog: A fog that numbs the five senses.

It dulled the Sense stat, so he had to move fast.

Gangwoo surged forward with all his strength, leaping onto the dais in one bound.

“What is this fog!?”

He brushed past the panicking soldiers, plunging into the blind mist to find Evan and Rain by their presence alone.

But right then—

Swoosh—

A sharp blade arced toward Ha Gangwoo’s throat.

‘What the—?!’

Gangwoo caught the sudden strike with Barzel’s Appetite.

Crack!

Barzel’s Appetite had infinite durability.

A blow like that wouldn’t even scratch it. But the problem was something else.

‘Who is this!?’

A blade aimed straight for his throat through the thick fog. No matter how he thought about it, something was off.

Gangwoo narrowed his eyes, fixing on the sword’s wielder.

‘The escort knight…’

From the first meeting until now, that man had been radiating a steady killing intent. It was Terion, the escort knight of Dikas.

‘Interesting.’

Gangwoo grabbed hold of the blade Terion had swung.

That strange feeling he’d had from the start—the mana signature that felt halfway between a monster and a Demonfolk. Now he understood.

‘Could it be this guy?’

The only one here with something special was this escort knight.

‘This is tough.’

A difficulty level that would’ve been nearly impossible without his Sense stat.

A wicked grin spread across Ha Gangwoo’s face.

‘Let’s see what we’ve got.’

He slowly reached a hand toward Terion’s head.

Terion thrashed with all his strength, trying to wrench the trapped sword free.

Gangwoo’s body swayed under the sudden force—*Shiiiiick!*—the blade slipped from his grip.

Gangwoo looked at Barzel’s Appetite, now free from his hold, and smiled.

‘What the hell? He’s stronger than a Red Golem.’

That settled it. This escort knight wasn’t an ordinary NPC.

Just as Gangwoo was grinning down at his palm—

*Whoosh-*

Terion swung his sword again.

Even after heavy exposure to the Paralysis Fog, his aim was still dead-on, and the strike was razor-sharp.

*Clang!*

But it fell far short of what Gangwoo could handle. His Stats were already pushing level 70 caliber, and his gear far exceeded the baseline.

Within Scenario 1, no one could stop him.

Gangwoo caught Terion’s sword and drove his fist straight into the knight’s chest.

*Whoosh-* A simple punch.

But *Crack!* Terion’s body caved in like a snapped biscuit.

Blood pattered to the ground in dark droplets.

Gangwoo watched and smirked.

‘Found it.’

A white liquid pooled across the floor. Broken, grotesque cogs clattered against the stone.

The escort knight before him wasn’t human.

Gangwoo stared into the hole he’d punched through the knight’s chest.

Inside the ruined body, a red orb pulsed with light.

‘An Ego Golem.’

The escort knight was an Ego Golem—a creature with its own consciousness.

‘I didn’t know they could be this refined, like a real person.’

*Crack-*

Gangwoo yanked his arm back out of Terion’s body.

“Kuhuk—”

White blood streamed from Terion’s mouth as the light faded from his eyes.

Gangwoo lifted the brilliantly glowing red orb and was about to check his Status window when—

[Cleared: Key Clue [DLC Hidden][Sub].]

[Acquired 55,000 EXP!]

[Acquired an additional 55,000 EXP from Perk effect.]

[Reward: Acquired Ego Core.]

[Cleared: Scenario.1: Mysterious Golden Feather (1) [DLC Hidden][Main].]

[Acquired 100,000 EXP!]

[Acquired an additional 100,000 EXP from Perk effect.]

[Acquired 400,000 Gold.]

[Level Up!!!]

A cascade of welcome notifications rang out.