*Hssss-*

Within the viridian haze of the lethal poison fog,

*Ding-*

[You have resisted the deadly poison fog.]

A brilliant light flared from Asrul’s Lust, dangling around Ha Gangwoo’s neck.

[You have resisted the deadly poison fog.]

Each pulse sent a gratifying System chime against his eardrums.

‘Good.’

At the very center of the lethal fog, Ha Gangwoo allowed himself a satisfied smile.

He could breathe here, at the poison’s epicenter, without any trouble at all.

If he had to name a downside, maybe the stale, musty smell? Asrul’s Lust was resisting the poison mist’s toxicity perfectly.

Just as Ha Gangwoo was confirming the effect of Asrul’s Lust—

*—KIIIIIEEK!!!!*

Jutrek let out a guttural, blood-chilling shriek right in front of him.

Ha Gangwoo eyed the giant spider and licked his lips.

‘Strong.’

Undeniably the most powerful Monster he’d faced yet. Still, nothing he couldn’t take down.

The combat experience he’d built up so far told him as much.

‘Let’s do this.’

*Shudder-*

Thick black smoke began to coil up from Ha Gangwoo’s whole body.

*Ding-*

[You have activated Demonization.]

[All Statuses increase by 100%.]

*GRRRIND-*

In an instant, an overwhelming surge of power boiled through his entire being.

*Hssss-*

Two enormous horns sprouted from above his head. A chain-like tail grew from between his tailbone.

*KRRRRR-*

He simply exhaled, but the eerie resonance rippled through the poison fog.

Crunch—

Ha Gangwoo hefted the Big Glaive with one hand.

The heavy greatsword that had once weighed on him now felt surprisingly light.

Shwoosh—

At that moment, Jutrek’s colossal leg sliced through the poison fog, stamping down toward Ha Gangwoo.

Ha Gangwoo stepped back lightly with a single pace.

Boom!! A thunderous impact erupted right in front of him.

‘That’s one down!’

Gazing at Jutrek’s leg pitifully embedded in the ground, Ha Gangwoo swung his greatsword.

Whoosh— Slice—

The giant spider’s leg was cleanly severed.

Shhhhiiirrrp— Greenish blood gushed from the cut stump.

-Kieeek!!

Jutrek howled in agony.

The key hazards in clearing Jutrek were its lethal poison and webbing.

Without resistance, even brushing against the poison was fatal.

And the webs would snare your legs.

The moment those webs held you down under Jutrek’s overwhelming bulk, it was all over.

But the webs soaked in Asrul’s Lust didn’t cling to his feet, and the poison dealt no damage to him either.

For Ha Gangwoo, Jutrek was a monster far too easy to clear.

‘Nothing special.’

A smile curling his lips, Ha Gangwoo gripped the greatsword in a reverse hold.

Thunk— A satisfying friction sound came from the Big Glaive’s handle.

Tense— Ha Gangwoo’s muscles contracted with all their might, veins bulging.

Swish—

Ha Gangwoo hurled the greatsword with everything he had.

Bang!

The greatsword shot through the air at terrifying speed, fiercely cleaving the mist.

Thud!!!

It struck Jutrek’s abdomen in an instant,

Kieeek—

Jutrek shrieked in pain.

Its body swayed for a moment,

‘Weak…’

But the actual damage was lacking.

The greatsword had only pierced the spider’s carapace, stuck there uselessly.

‘This is how it should be.’

Yet only a spark of competitive fire lit Ha Gangwoo’s expression.

Jutrek and Asrul.

If you had to compare mana output, Asrul was superior.

But in pure physical strength, Jutrek was stronger. That was why he was curious.

Just how much of his assault could Jutrek withstand?

Ha Gangwoo lowered his stance, staring at the greatsword lodged in Jutrek’s abdomen.

Even now, a single Activation Word could call it back to his hand, but there was no need.

‘Swift Movements.’

—

[Movement Speed increases by 50%.]

A blue radiance rippled around Ha Gangwoo’s legs.

-Kieeek!!!

A thick stream of venom shot from Jutrek’s mouth.

Splash-

But with Ha Gangwoo’s overwhelming speed, the venom only soaked the floor. It couldn’t touch him.

In a blur of motion, Ha Gangwoo reached Jutrek’s abdomen in an instant, where the greatsword was still embedded.

Crunch-

Ha Gangwoo grabbed the hilt of the greatsword with all his strength,

Kieeek!!!

and held on, bracing himself against the thrashing abdomen of the frenzied Jutrek.

Jutrek twisted its body in agony, and with each spasm, thick fluid oozed from the wound around the blade buried in its belly.

But Ha Gangwoo gripped the Big Glaive and grinned a wicked smile.

Ding-

[Attack Stance has been activated.]

[Your next attack will deal double damage.]

A crimson radiance rippled across Ha Gangwoo’s entire body.

‘Will this be enough to finish it too?’

Ha Gangwoo gripped the greatsword with both hands and planted his feet firmly on Jutrek’s body.

Then he began to channel Mana into it.

[You have consumed 50 MP.]

At that moment.

Crack-

A fissure spiderwebbed across Jutrek’s tough hide. Then, with a deep groan, the Big Glaive began to grow.

-Kieeek!!!

With each expansion, Jutrek’s thrashing grew more violent.

Groan-

Ha Gangwoo clung to the greatsword’s hilt, holding on for dear life.

[You have consumed 50 MP.]

Crack-

But soon, the Big Glaive’s growth halted.

It couldn’t overpower the formidable strength of Jutrek’s Hide.

‘Not enough, as expected.’

But it didn’t matter.

Now that things had come this far, finishing it off was trivial.

Ha Gangwoo drove the greatsword deeper into Jutrek’s belly with all his might.

Crack!!! A gush of blood exploded from Jutrek’s abdomen, cascading down like a torrent.

Kieeek!!!

Jutrek writhed in agony.

The greatsword had already pierced clean through the monster’s body. But the distinctive System notification for a kill hadn’t sounded.

Thud!!!

As if reaching its limit, Jutrek flipped onto its back, limbs splayed, and collapsed to the floor.

Standing on Jutrek’s belly, Ha Gangwoo’s expression hardened.

‘Goodbye.’

It had held on well so far, but a feeling washed over him that the next attack would end it.

Ha Gangwoo placed his foot on the hilt of the greatsword.

And then he summoned the sensation from when he had killed Asrul.

The fusion of Demonic energy and Mana. The moment he had created a new Demonfolk skill.

Fwisss-

Intense crimson Demonic energy rippled at the tip of Ha Gangwoo’s foot, and at that instant, a violet radiance surged across his entire body.

‘Seismic Stomp.’

Ha Gangwoo thought the Activation word.

Ding-

[You have gained a great insight.]

[You have learned Seismic Stomp: Demon.]

Clang!!!!

A thunderous boom, more intense than any before, struck the ground.

Ding-

[You have defeated Jutrek.]

[You gain 400,000 EXP!!]

[Perk effect: 400,000 bonus EXP acquired.]

[Aura of Growth effect: 200,000 bonus EXP acquired.]

[You have obtained 400,000 Gold.]

[Level up!!]

[Mimic’s rank has increased!!!]

[Rank: D → C]

A cascade of joyous notifications rang in his ears.

***

Crack!!!

A thunderous blast ripped through the air—and in an instant, the thick poison fog that had hung heavy in the chamber scattered into nothing.

“That— that’s impossible!”

Kaito stared, mouth hanging open, as he watched the haze thin and the scene beyond sharpen into focus.

A single figure stood motionless atop the colossal spider—unmistakable proof that he had taken down Jutrek entirely on his own.

“Even for someone past level 130, taking it solo is no easy feat…”

Sure, the guy had poison immunity—but single-handedly taking down a boss that size?

Cold sweat broke out on Kaito’s brow. The whole damn situation didn’t make sense.

Standing beside Kaito, Mimic pricked up her ears.

“Huh?!”

As if sensing something, she broke into a mad dash toward Ha Gangwoo.

“Kid, wait up!”

Seeing this, Anita Via chased after Mimic.

‘No way he took that thing down alone.’

Anita Via sprinted toward Jutrek, Ha Gangwoo flashing through her mind.

The client who’d requested the item Repair—there was something about him, that brimming confidence that hinted at hidden depths.

But then, without a moment’s hesitation, he’d charged straight into the poison mist, pulling their Party out of a crisis in the space of a breath.

And on top of that, he went and took down Jutrek, the boss monster, all by himself.

‘Just who in the world is he?’

Thump—thump—

Anita Via found herself stepping toward the very place where the earth was screaming—driven by a surge of anticipation she hadn’t meant to feel.

***

Fshhhhh—

The demonic energy that had been flowing through Ha Gangwoo’s entire body scattered into the air and vanished.

[Demonization has been released.]

Ha Gangwoo released his Demonization and let a satisfied smile settle on his face.

“Not bad at all, huh?”

As expected from a Boss Monster — the rewards were excellent. Not only did he level up, but Mimic’s rank had risen too.

Ha Gangwoo climbed down from Jutrek’s enormous body.

And then he saw it.

An item blazing with intense light.

“A longsword?”

It was made of metal — from the seams to the engravings, it looked like a high-grade piece of gear.

Thump-thump.

His heart pounded at the unexpected loot.

Ha Gangwoo slowly approached the item. Then—

Clatter-clatter—!

Something dashed in fast. Snatch! It grabbed the item.

‘…’

“An item!!!”

None other than Mimic.

Mimic was ecstatic, holding the longsword that was as big as herself.

“Wow… It’s really big. This is my first time seeing one in person.”

Anita Via and the party who’d been fighting the boss trailed in behind him.

“Holy shit… Look at the ground.”

“What kind of skill did he use?”

Everyone couldn’t help but marvel, staring at Jutrek as it screamed in agony.

The floor had been split open from a single blow. They couldn’t even begin to imagine how hard you’d have to swing to leave a mark like that.

The party leader, Kaito, walked up to Ha Gangwoo.

Then he bowed his head deeply to express his gratitude.

“Thank you so much. You saved our lives. May I ask your name?”

‘…’

Ha Gangwoo looked at Kaito with a flat expression. It was fine that he was grateful, but why bother asking for a name? His face, changed by the Costume, didn’t need one.

“No need to thank me. I killed it because I needed to.”

With those curt words, Ha Gangwoo headed toward Jutrek’s corpse.

“Um… still, if you could just tell me your name…”

Kaito stared blankly at Ha Gangwoo’s retreating back. Then the man who served as the party’s main DPS sidled up and spoke.

“I get that he saved us, but isn’t he a bit too arrogant? And we did cooperate with the clearing strategy in our own way. Let’s at least take a few of Jutrek’s legs.”

The main DPS was unhappy.

He was the one who’d been firing magic from a relatively safe distance.

He was the only party member who hadn’t received Ha Gangwoo’s help.

“I have no complaints. If it weren’t for him… I don’t even want to think about it.”

But the Healer, who’d been saved by Ha Gangwoo, said nothing. And Saito, the Tank and leader, had no complaints either.

Because they knew better than anyone that without Ha Gangwoo, they wouldn’t be standing on two legs right now.

“Let’s just go back. We’ve been rewarded enough.”

“B-but…”

The main DPS tried to appeal to Saito, but he couldn’t change his mind.

Meanwhile–

*Crunch!*

Ha Gangwoo drove the Big Glaive into Jutrek’s abdomen.

*Crack!*

Jutrek’s Hide was incredibly tough. But under Ha Gangwoo’s blade, backed by nearly 300 Strength, it couldn’t hold out.

[Jutrek’s Hide]

Grade: C

Description: The hide of Jutrek, master of the Diblon Forest. It is resistant to heat and possesses a sturdy nature. If processed well, it should be possible to create excellent items.

A system window attached itself to the piece of hide that had come off.

*Crunch–*

And so Ha Gangwoo began dismantling Jutrek,

*Ding–*

[Jutrek’s Spider Silk]

He had found the Spider Silk, the final material for the Costume repair.

***

“Please wait a moment.”

A soft orange light illuminated Anita Via’s face.

Her workshop was filled with the fragrant scent of fabric softener.

Everything had gone like clockwork.

The short Dungeon clearing — if you could call it short — was over.

But on the way back to the workshop, brief though the time was, a few things had happened.

An Association employee had come looking for them at the spot where Jutrek had fallen.

A failed clearing party must have sent out a distress signal, because the worker arrived panting, asking if they were all right.

With no deaths or injuries, they were escorted all the way back to the Dungeon entrance without any red tape.

The next person they ran into was the building’s owner.

“You bastards picked the wrong people to mess with!”

He’d shown up fuming, dragging five Players along with him.

Anita Via trembled, her face pale with nerves.

“Is this enough?”

The moment Ha Gangwoo scattered Gold on the floor, the problem dissolved in an instant.

He could have solved it with force, but the landlord was a moneyed power broker who controlled this commercial district.

There was nothing to gain by antagonizing him.

The total paid out: 10 million Gold.

“Thank you so much!”

Anita Via bowed her head deeply, voice thick with gratitude.

It was the advance payment for the Costume anyway, but she still seemed immensely thankful.

“I’ll repair your gear for free for the rest of my life!!!”

On top of that, he’d landed an unexpected promise.

Ten million Gold.

For Ha Gangwoo, it was a fair price for Costume repairs, but for Anita Via, it must have felt like an exorbitant sum.

A lifetime of free repairs — an unexpected windfall.

“How long do you think it’ll take?”

But more than the price tag, the repair of the Costume itself mattered.

“Hmm…”

Anita Via fiddled with the materials laid out on the table, then fell into thought for a moment.

Her gaze drifted into empty air — probably using a skill to check the time.

“It should be done by tomorrow morning.”

Roughly twelve hours. Just the right amount of time.

“Got it. I’ll leave it to you.”

“Yes! I’ll finish it as fast as I can!”

Anita Via’s face lit up with determination as she clenched both fists.

And with that, Ha Gangwoo stepped out of the workshop.

‘Now comes the hard part.’

Repairing the Costume had been his top priority for coming to the workshop district, but there was also a way to make money here.

His original target had been 400 million Gold. With the repair cost added, it had swelled by 10 million.

‘I wonder if this’ll work out.’

Ha Gangwoo smacked his lips and set off down the workshop street.

***

[Karorong Gold] — Emergency Loan.

“We’ll lend you up to 100 million Gold!”

(Limits vary by Player rank.)

[Daebak Money]

[Sanheo Gold]

The street was crammed with loan shops.

“Please, just give me ten thousand Gold…”

A Player with a haggard face.

“I’m… screwed.”

A Player collapsed onto the ground, looking like he’d lost everything.

This was the street for the ultimate gamble only Players could enjoy.

The street with the Item Enhancement Chamber.

*Thump — Thump —*

“Let’s do this.”

Ha Gangwoo stepped toward the massive furnace.