Ding-

[DLC-Shop]

DLC-Catalog System Update – 300,000,000 Gold

DLC-My Room Update – 100,000,000 Gold

DLC-Catalog Random Pouch – 1,500,000 Gold

(Refresh)

Ha Gangwoo looked over the new listings and smiled with satisfaction.

‘Expensive.’

The first item was 300 million Gold, the second also a whopping 100 million Gold.

Normally, he’d be complaining about how pricey they were.

Thump-thump—

But now, only anticipation swelled inside him.

Ha Gangwoo stroked his chin as he read the product names out one by one.

‘Catalog Synthesis? My Room?’

Given the eye-watering prices, the names themselves were enticing.

‘Not bad this time.’

Ha Gangwoo had earned 350 billion Gold from the auction and already done a few refreshes.

All in the time he’d spent training Mimic.

[DLC-Warp Altar (Additional Purchase)]

[DLC-Inventory Expansion Ticket]

[DLC-Gold Box]

……

..

.

They all felt more like event items than core DLC—disappointing.

Here he’d gotten his hands on an insane amount of Gold, only for the items to be garbage. He always had to wait for tomorrow.

And today, the day he’d been waiting for, a core DLC appeared right before his eyes.

Thump-thump—

With a nervous heart, Ha Gangwoo checked the DLC product list one by one.

[DLC-Catalog System Update]

Grade: A

Description: The DLC-Catalog System has been updated. A total of 10,215 skills have been registered in the Gaia System so far. Always disappointed when useless skills come out of the Catalog? If so, try purchasing this DLC. Even more diverse and new Catalogs await you.

Effects

– 20,215 new skills added.

– NEW Catalog added.

– Catalog Synthesis System unlocked.

– 2 Catalogs provided.

Quantity: 1

Purchase Price: 300,000,000 Gold

‘Good.’

The first DLC lived up to its price tag in performance.

The Catalog. It was a card no bigger than a palm, yet it was the most important item for any Player.

From Seismic Stomp to Attack Stance to Invisible — weren’t they all skills obtained from the Catalog?

And now, an update to that very Catalog. Just reading about it sparked his interest.

Ding-

[You have purchased the DLC – Catalog System Upgrade.]

Ha Gangwoo bought the first product without hesitation.

Whoooosh-

As soon as he purchased it, a cluster of light gathered before him.

Pop-

The now-familiar DLC pack slipped neatly into his hands.

The phrase DLC was elegantly printed across the square case.

Ding-

[You have used the DLC – Catalog System Upgrade.]

[20,215 new skills have been added.]

[NEW Catalog has been added.]

[Catalog Synthesis System has been unlocked.]

[2 Catalogs have been provided.]

The moment he used it, a cluttered storm of system notifications assaulted his ears, and the light cluster — whoooosh — seeped into his entire body.

Then, two small cards popped out in front of him.

They were the two Catalogs enclosed with the DLC – Catalog System Upgrade.

[Skill Catalog]

Grade: F

Description: Randomly learn 1 F-grade skill.

‘What the hell…’

Ha Gangwoo scratched his cheek, staring at the Catalogs.

The Catalogs he received were two F-grade Catalogs.

But to get mere F-grade Catalogs from a 300-million-Gold item? It was disappointing.

‘They want me to experiment.’

Still, he thought he understood why.

[Catalog Synthesis System has been unlocked.]

The newly opened Catalog Synthesis System was the reason.

It seemed like the Catalogs he got now were meant for him to check out the synthesis system.

‘Let’s try it.’

He was already interested in Catalog Synthesis anyway. With the material Catalogs conveniently appearing, there was no reason to hesitate.

‘Catalog Synthesis.’

Ha Gangwoo called up the Activation Word,

Ding-

[Catalog Synthesis System has been activated.]

Along with the system sound, a new system window appeared.

[Please place 2 Catalogs into [-].]

[-] [-]

“So you synthesize two of them, huh.”

There was no precise explanation, but he could roughly guess.

Synthesize 2 Catalogs into 1 random Catalog.

The usage didn’t seem that difficult.

Ha Gangwoo immediately dropped the Catalogs into the system window.

‘What’ll come out?’

With a whopping 20,000 skills added, and the Catalog itself updated now, he was curious what kind of Catalog would pop out.

Ding-

[Catalog[F]] + [Catalog[F]]

[Catalog registered.]

*Probability Table

-Critical Success: 1%

-Success: 49%

-Retain: 40%

-Failure: 10%

[Proceed with Synthesis?]

[Yes / No]

(Caution! A synthesized Catalog cannot be reversed.)

‘Probability Table?’

So even Synthesis itself had odds attached to it.

‘Critical Success?’

Would landing a Critical Success spit out an S-Rank Catalog? Thump-thump. Anticipation welled up at the fresh possibility.

Ha Gangwoo clicked the ‘Yes’ button without a moment’s hesitation.

Ding-

[Synthesizing Catalog.]

The instant he clicked—Woom-woom—a blazing light poured from the system window floating before him.

Ding-

[Catalog Synthesis succeeded.]

Ding-

[Skill Catalog II]

Grade: F

Description: Upon use, randomly learn one of the additional F-grade skills.

‘There it is.’

Not a smashing success, but the Synthesis had ended well enough.

The card flipped over to reveal a Catalog stamped with a stylish ‘F’ and ‘Ⅱ’ on its back. The leather-bound material added a note of refinement.

‘So this is the expanded Catalog.’

The roman numeral II confirmed it was a newly added Catalog. And then that description.

[Randomly learn one added skill.]

Thump— thump—

It stirred curiosity.

‘What kind of skill got added?’

Catalogs always sparked anticipation, even as they were.

Even the lackluster Fireball had proven useful back in Scenario 1 territory.

Thump-thump—

That was why he burned with curiosity about what the upgraded version, the Skill Catalog II, would yield.

Ding-

[You have used the Catalog.]

[You have learned Straight Punch: Burst.]

[Straight Punch: Burst]

Grade: F

Type: Active

MP Cost: 6~ (Destructive power increases with more Mana spent.)

ACTION: Drive your fist forward.

EFFECT: Wreathe your fist in mana to amplify destructive force. On striking an enemy, a massive explosion erupts.

(Explosion Damage scales proportionally with mana expended.)

Ha Gangwoo swept a hand along his jaw, studying the new skill with a careful eye.

‘Not bad.’

A Catalog update, was it? Honestly, this was a straight upgrade over the existing skill.

A skill that tacked an explosion onto the old Straight Punch. On the surface, it might seem unimpressive, but the effect was immense.

Explosion effects are rare even among Artifacts. In a hunt, it shatters a monster’s defenses and inflicts grievous damage.

And that effect was tagged onto a pre-existing skill.

Gangwoo clenched his fist and began to condense mana. A fierce blue light gathered, compressed, and compressed further.

‘I’m curious.’

He wanted to punch the wall right then, to verify the explosion’s power.

“Let’s set it aside for now.”

But instead, Gangwoo scattered the mana and unclenched his fist.

He couldn’t break down a wall out of simple curiosity, and with the Sparring room closed for now, there was no way to test it.

Ha Gangwoo moved on to the next item.

Ding-

[DLC – My Room]

Grade: A

Description: DLC-My Room is now available. A day in the dungeon is always hell. The freezing floor, the constant vigilance against monsters even for a moment’s rest. But with My Room, the story changes. Now, decorate your own personal space.

Effect

– My Room system unlocked.

– My Room-exclusive key granted.

Quantity: 1

Purchase Price: 100,000,000 Gold

“My Room?”

The second item seemed far removed from combat.

‘My own space…’

Reading the description, My Room felt like another version of the Inventory.

If the Inventory was a system for storing items, My Room was a place where the Player could rest.

‘Not bad.’

After all, it was a 100-million-Gold product. He figured it was even better than a Catalog update.

Just think back to when he first entered Scenario 1.

Rest always meant the bare ground, and hunts left him reeking of sweat with no chance to wash.

And the hardest part was having to stay on edge twenty-four hours a day.

Even in low-difficulty Scenario.1, that pressure was there — so what about the hard Dungeons or Gates?

Places where letting your guard down for a second meant losing your life. It was obvious you wouldn’t get a proper rest for three or four days straight.

Thump— thump—

But with this item, the story changed. A space entirely my own, where no one could intrude.

‘Lion.’

Ha Gangwoo bought the product and used it without a moment’s hesitation.

Ding-

[You have purchased DLC-My Room.]

[You have used DLC-My Room.]

[DLC-My Room system has been unlocked.]

[You have acquired 1 My Room-exclusive Key.]

Before Ha Gangwoo, a refined key floated up into the air.

[My Room-exclusive Key]

Grade: ???

Description: A key that allows entry into My Room. If lost, you will never be able to enter again, so be careful not to misplace it.

A small key made of silver metal.

It was compact enough to sit snugly in the hand, and ornate.

‘…….’

Ha Gangwoo set the key on his palm and stared at it with a bitter expression.

“Later, when we save up, let’s buy our own house!”

Those were his little sister’s words from the past.

They had promised to buy their own home—not one the government provided, but one that was truly theirs.

Which was why a strange feeling rose up in him now.

‘It doesn’t feel like a home.’

A space of his own—My Room’s function was identical to a house.

*Crack-*

Ha Gangwoo’s face hardened as he clenched the key tight.

‘Let’s hurry.’

Thinking of his sister made him want to push through the Scenario faster, without losing a single moment.

Only by hitting Max Level would he be safe—no risk when searching for something, no danger when investigating others.

Ha Gangwoo immediately placed the key in midair and turned it smoothly, clockwise.

*Ding-*

[You have used the My Room Exclusive Key.]

*Ding-*

[The My Room System is now activating.]

A low hum—just as a system window seemed to rise before him—

*Woosh-*

A door materialized before him, radiating a fierce light.

A white door, utterly bare of any pattern or marking.

‘This is My Room?’

A thin door floating in midair. Bizarre sight, but—creak. Ha Gangwoo pushed it open without hesitation.

Ding-

[You have entered My Room.]

[Customization is now beginning.]

Ha Gangwoo stepped inside and craned his neck, looking around.

Everything was white—as if he’d stepped into a blank canvas, with no boundary between sky and earth.

The moment Ha Gangwoo observed his My Room—

Clang!

The door behind him slammed shut.

The only link to the outside world clicked closed.

‘…’

A dizzying silence descended.

‘Customization?’

Ha Gangwoo narrowed his eyes in the hush, focusing on the system window.

Suddenly telling him to start customizing—My Room apparently required further action.

Ha Gangwoo tapped the system window with his index finger. It changed.

Ding-

[Please set the size of the living room.]

11×11 – 1,000,000 Gold

33×33 – 50,000,000 Gold

66×66 – 75,000,000 Gold

99×99 – 100,000,000 Gold

……..

…..

….

.

“Living room?”

So this My Room really was a system for building your own personal house.

‘What size would be good?’

After spending a whole hundred million Gold, it wanted more Gold. Normally, that might’ve rankled him, but the numbers barely registered.

‘Too big and cleaning will be a pain.’

He only worried about what size was reasonable for a living room.

Ding-

[66×66 has been selected.]

Ha Gangwoo picked the size that seemed the most neutral.

[The living room is being generated.]

The instant he chose—

Groooooan—

The ground seemed to heave and churn beneath and above—

Whump—

And then Ha Gangwoo was standing inside a room.

‘So this… is My Room.’

The exit door still hung behind him, but the scene had transformed completely.

A sharply angled square space—as wide and cozy as a thirty-pyeong apartment.

“That’s it?”

Maybe he’d gotten his hopes up too high for a My Room.

The space itself was plenty, but if it could only generate a room… disappointment was starting to creep in. Then—

Ding-

[Please set the interior.]

[Wallpaper] [Furniture] [Accessories] [Other]

Another customization system window appeared.

‘What’s this now.’

***

Thump—

A faint floral scent drifted up from the plush, cozy comforter.

“Hoooh…”

Ha Gangwoo lay back on the bed, savoring the My Room he’d just created.

‘They really have everything.’

In the living room where he now was—there was a bed, obviously, but also a sofa and a kitchen.

On top of that, with the ‘Add Room’ feature, he’d built a bathroom, a washroom, and even a room for Mimic.

It was all part of My Room’s customization system.

‘Should I add another light?’

The My Room system was simpler than he’d expected.

”Customize.”

The moment he uttered the Activation word.

*Ding-*

[Interior] [Add Room] [Additional Settings]

A menu popped up, and all he had to do was make a selection.

“This is fun.”

Was this the thrill of decorating a home?

A system that provided furniture, paired with near-infinite funds—he’d lost all track of time tweaking My Room.

‘Come to think of it… what time is it?’

Ha Gangwoo snapped back to reality and checked his phone in his pocket.

[5:31.]

‘Five…’

He’d been decorating a room for over two hours. The time he’d promised Mimic and Jo Seunghyun had already passed.

Ha Gangwoo hurried outside, checking the messages that had come in.

-Messages-

[Jo Seunghyun-Hyung-nim! I’ve arrived. Where are you?]

[Jo Seunghyun-You must be busy. Contact me when you get a chance. I’m checking my gear.]

[Kelden Elysifer-Greetings. Next Friday is my daughter’s birthday. If you have time, I’d like to offer you a meal. The location is…]

[Hope Repository-Gangwoo, hello. It was another quiet day without any major issues.]

Seunghyun’s apparently handling his own maintenance.

‘An hour’s gone by…’

Mimic wasn’t the only worry.

The time he’d agreed to meet Kim Jisoo was around 4:20. Over an hour had passed.

‘…’

It was a one-sided promise she’d made, but he’d still broken it by over an hour.

Ha Gangwoo quickly made his way to the Association lobby.

***

“Yes, your identity is confirmed!!!”

The Association staff member grabbed Ha Gangwoo’s hand and handed him his Player Certificate. Seeing the guy do all that when he could’ve just handed it over, he must’ve been pretty freaked out by the L-Grade rank.

The current location was the entrance to the Tower of Job Change.

“Thank you.”

Ha Gangwoo forced himself free of the staff member’s grip and stood before the massive door.

A gate about five meters tall. From swords and bows to spears and staves, its surface was engraved with all kinds of weapons.

‘The Tower of Job Change.’

Normally, he’d have walked right in, but a sliver of anxiety lingered.

[Job Change Conditions]

-Strength: S-Rank or higher

-Sense: S-Rank or higher

-Good-Evil: S-Rank or higher

The very conditions for Ruin’s job change.

He figured he’d find out once he entered, but the unease was still there.

Just as Ha Gangwoo was lost in thought about the next trial.

“Hyung-nim, let’s go together!!!”

From behind Ha Gangwoo, Jo Seunghyun came lumbering up, his whole body clad in armor that looked expensive and made him seem clumsy.

‘He really came prepared.’

The Scenario. From what happened in Zone 1, the moment Jo Seunghyun saw Ha Gangwoo, he grabbed both his hands.

“After you cleared the Scenario, Scenario 1 completely changed!”

He was so worked up, practically throwing a tantrum as he talked, that even Ha Gangwoo felt like he was right there in the scene himself.

“Rankers came rushing in because the Scenario changed, and they were all in a frenzy clearing Scenario 1 again. And you know about the Gate connected to Skypier, right?”

Jo Seunghyun spun the tale he’d lived through. There were a few interesting facts in there, so it wasn’t boring.

That’s when Ha Gangwoo recalled his meeting with Jo Seunghyun.

“Then wait here, got it?”

At the entrance to the Tower of Job Change. Kim Jisoo bowed her head as she spoke to Mimic.

“Yes! See you later!”

Mimic fiddled with a skewered rice cake as she answered.

‘Will she be okay?’

Ha Gangwoo recalled the moment he’d met Kim Jisoo and Mimic.

They were late for their appointment with Kim Jisoo, but instead of getting angry,

-Ah! You’re here? The kid really likes you, you know.

She was warm, as if she’d built a decent friendship with Mimic.

-I came here for a job change, too. Want to party up? I’m a Chef…

And at Kim Jisoo’s words that she was entering the Tower of Job Change,

“Ah! Really? A Chef? Wow~!!! Perfect, let’s go together!!!”

Jo Seunghyun had swept Kim Jisoo into the party.

The Tower of Job Change was just a place to measure individual scores anyway. There was no risk of a bad party member lowering your rank, so Ha Gangwoo readily agreed.

And so began the three-person party.

Beneath the colossal tower, a fierce pillar of light shot into the sky.

Ha Gangwoo, Jo Seunghyun, and Kim Jisoo steeled themselves, expressions full of anticipation.

“Let’s go in.”

At Ha Gangwoo’s words, the massive door creaked open with a grinding groan, then clanged!

Ding-

[You have entered the Tower of Job Change.]

The notification drummed against his eardrums.