Byeonggap gave the recruitment notice a sidelong glance, pretending disinterest.

‘Five hundred million a head? And one-point-five billion if you bag them alive.’

According to the news, the thugs hitting the power complexes numbered four or five. He did the math fast.

‘If it’s five, that’s two-point-five billion for kills… one-point-five billion each alive—seven-point-five billion total!’

His jaw went slack at seven-point-five billion. Wasn’t that practically astronomical?

Truth was, Byeonggap’s income wasn’t bad these days. He worked rifts nonstop, taking no more than five days off a month—pulling in three hundred million won monthly, easy. Enough to call himself upper class without a blink.

Compared to his old days as a run-of-the-mill D-rank hunter, he was making tens of times more. Still, seven-point-five billion was a number that didn’t quite click.

He stood in front of the board for a while, sipping his milk coffee.

‘Tch. None of my business.’

He clicked his tongue at the bitter aftertaste and turned back.

Sure, more money would be nice. But jumping into something beyond your reach only leaves a sour taste in your mouth.

‘How the hell am I supposed to catch an S-rank thug? Don’t even think about it.’

The thug had taken down twenty B-rank hunters in a flash. If Byeonggap rolled up his sleeves and charged in, he’d be nothing more than ‘Extra #1’ getting flattened.

‘…Well, I suppose if I used a soul-line product, I could scrape by somehow.’

He sat back down on the waiting bench and let a brief memory surface. It was from the Northern Expedition, the time he’d faced a balrog.

That balrog had driven Squad C—his squad—to the brink of annihilation. And at the very threshold of death, Go Byeonggap had turned the tide through a product called the Soul of Trobatin.

‘That technique and sensation I used back then—no matter how hard I tried, I could never replicate it.’

After the soul’s assimilation wore off, he couldn’t use that technique no matter how much he trained. His mind understood it, but his body wouldn’t follow. It felt like standing before an insurmountable wall.

‘If I could just move up to a high-grade manual, maybe the key would finally fall into place.’

Ding-dong!

“Customer number 132!”

Lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t noticed his turn had come. Go Byeonggap gathered his bag, stuffed with magic stones, and walked over to the counter.

About twenty minutes later. After the tedious settlement process ended, he received his payout. The day’s earnings from clearing B-rank and C-rank rifts came to around 15 million won.

It was a sum comparable to several months’ salary for an ordinary office worker, but it didn’t satisfy him. His mother’s hospital bills alone consumed about 50 million won each month. He had to wring out as much money as possible while his limbs still worked.

“That’s why I’ve got to hit the rifts harder.”

Rather than gambling on a single windfall, being a diligent ant was the better bet. Go Byeonggap shook off the rising distractions.

* * *

“Phwooooh!”

A B-rank monster Sharpdeer charged with its razor-sharp antlers leading the way.

‘I’ve got its pattern down. It goes strong-weak-strong-strong-weak…’

“Phwooooh!”

“Aagh!”

No more playing around. Go Byeonggap’s eyes hardened. He detonated the internal energy deep within his body. The Sharpdeer, locked antler-to-blade with him, was caught in the blast and sent flying.

He didn’t miss the creature’s exposed opening. Go Byeonggap lunged like a thunderbolt and carved into its flank.

“Kweeeeeek!”

“Sharp, isn’t it?”

Flesh split open, revealing an unexpected display of its innards. The massive monster deer flopped onto the ground, thrashing. Go Byeonggap leaped high and reversed his grip on the sword.

Thunk!

The plunging blade pierced the Sharpdeer’s neck. He wrenched it violently sideways, and the head snapped clean off. The Sharpdeer twitched a few times with sorrowful eyes, then went limp.

[You have fully mastered the ‘Ancient Swordsmanship Manual—Mid-Grade’.]

[You have fully mastered the ‘Ancient Body Tempering Manual—Mid-Grade’.]

“Yes!”

Both mid-grade manuals were finally complete. Compared to the beginner-grade ones, it had taken quite a while.

‘Now I can learn the high-grade manuals.’

He grinned with satisfaction as he surveyed the rear. The raid team was mopping up the remaining monsters. The lesser monsters stood no chance against them anymore.

The cleanup of remnants ended in under five minutes. Byeonggap summoned the workers and had them haul away the monster carcasses.

He lit a cigarette, walked over to the raid team, and asked.

«What’s your mastery rate on the manuals?»

«I’ve mastered about seventy percent.»

«About the same for me.»

The goblins answered in unison. As he listened, their mastery rates clustered between 63 and 75 percent.

«It hasn’t been climbing at all lately.»

«Right. Even after taking down dozens of monsters, it barely budges.»

‘Right, that’s the hellish plateau.’

Once the mastery rate passed 60%, progress crawled. The only way to boost it faster was to fight stronger enemies.

But Byeonggap always handled the B-rank and above monsters himself. He worried the goblins might get hurt.

‘The raid team’s strong enough now — at least mid-B-rank. For their growth, maybe it’s time to try an A-rank rift…’

Byeonggap stroked his chin, lost in thought. Then he shook his head.

‘What am I thinking? To enter an A-rank rift, you need at least one S-rank asset.’

A-rank and B-rank rifts — both were considered high-tier, but putting them on the same level was a mistake. The practical difficulty was night and day.

In a B-rank rift, the minion monsters were all lower-tier. But an A-rank rift was different. Unless it was a special case like a variant or a dungeon, every single minion monster was B-rank.

In simple terms, that meant facing over three hundred high-rank monsters. Three hundred C-ranks and three hundred B-ranks — the weight of those words was entirely different.

If you charged in blind, you’d be booking a one-way express train to the River Styx.

«Let’s head back.»

«Yes, sir!»

He sent the goblins back and crossed over into Asvillam himself. He went to the river, gave his filthy body a quick wash, then immediately opened the Ancient Shop.

[Ancient Swordsmanship Manual — High-Grade]

– Price: 3,000 Crystals

– Description: A manual covering the ‘Swordsmanship — High-Grade’ among ancient arts. Contains the sword techniques of the ancient knight order.

[Ancient Body Tempering Manual — High-Grade]

– Price: 3,000 Crystals

– Description: A manual covering the ‘Body Tempering — High-Grade’ among ancient arts. Contains the body tempering techniques of the ancient knight order.

He paid a total of 6,000 crystals and bought both manuals. His heart pounded as he held them in his hands.

Hadn’t he tasted a whole new world when he moved from low-grade to mid-grade? Would he feel that thrill again this time?

Full of anticipation, he began imprinting the manuals.

[Would you like to imprint the ‘Ancient Swordsmanship Manual — High-Grade’?]

‘Of course.’

The moment he gave mental consent, the parchment manual began to dissolve into Go Byeonggap. Vast knowledge crashed into his skull, and a crawling discomfort wrapped around his entire body.

‘Damn. Never getting used to this.’

He hated the feeling, but if this was the cost of getting stronger, he ought to be grateful.

Riding the momentum, Byeonggap finished imprinting the remaining manual as well.

He closed his fist and opened it again, savoring the fresh knowledge that had flooded in.

‘Oh? That’s possible?’

A technique glimpsed in the Physical Training Manual caught his interest. Leaning on the manual’s knowledge, Byeonggap began cycling his internal energy.

He trapped a certain threshold of internal energy in his arm. Then, manipulating it according to the formula…

“Hah! It actually works?”

A shimmering gloss spread across his skin. Hardening. Even at a glance, its hardness surpassed steel.

On a whim, he dragged a sword across it. Light as the stroke was, the keen blade made from a Sharpdeer’s horn couldn’t even bite in. Without internal energy or karma layered on, it seemed like it could weather most ordinary blows.

“Impressive.”

It was superior to his old defense techniques, both functionally and in efficiency.

Next was the high-grade swordsmanship. Muttering that, Byeonggap settled into a stance. And then it happened.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Drumbeats suddenly rang from the North Gate. Byeonggap grasped the meaning behind the sound faster than anyone else could.

‘A danger situation?’

He himself had drilled them—beat the drums when they judged danger was coming. Byeonggap sprinted straight for the North Gate.

As he drew close, he could hear the goblins’ urgent voices.

«Grugles are swarming in!»

«Someone’s out beyond the walls! We have to warn them!»

«We have to tell the Lord! Lord—hah! My Lord!»

«What’s going on!»

Byeonggap shouted. The goblins standing watch on the wall all pointed in one direction.

Far off, about three kilometers in a straight line, a pitch-black mass was visible.

«Something’s swarming in! Looks like Grugle!»

«What the hell! How many of them are there?»

Even at a glance, it easily numbered over a thousand.

Byeonggap ground his teeth. He spun on his heel like lightning, barking orders.

«Call in everyone outside the walls into the inner fortress! Lock the gate and spread word to the walls on all sides!»

«Understood!»

«Where’s Doran!»

«Probably at the West Gate!»

Byeonggap bolted westward.

She wasn’t on the West Wall’s rooftop. Byeonggap leaped clean off the twenty-meter wall and dropped to the quarters below.

There, Doran and Ea sat side by side, chatting. When Byeonggap burst in with an urgent look, both of them wore startled expressions.

«Lord?»

«Honey? Why are you panting like that?»

«Doran! Tell every combat unit to muster and arm up right now!»

«What the— No, y-yes! I understand!»

«Bring the troops to the North Gate!»

«Yes, My Lord!»

Doran shot out like an arrow. Ea still looked utterly confused.

«Oh, no. What in the world is going on? I don’t understand why you’re so worked up. Has something gone wrong?»

«Ea, what are you doing here?»

Go Byeonggap’s voice came out taut and sharp. Ea held up the basket she carried.

«I—I was just going to hand out some snacks…»

«Stay away from the walls. There’s going to be a fight.»

«A fight? All of a sudden?»

«The Grugles are coming.»

At the word “Grugle,” Ea’s face went pale. Go Byeonggap added a word of reassurance.

«It’ll be fine. Just hide inside the inner fortress.»

«Ah… understood. Be careful, you.»

«Yeah.»

The goblins moved with practiced speed. Those who’d been working dropped their tools on the spot and armed themselves. Those not yet fit for combat evacuated to designated shelters.

By the time all combat forces had gathered at the North Gate, the Grugles were within a kilometer. At this range, it was clear as day: Baltadren was their target.

Go Byeonggap stood atop the wall and looked down. Roughly three hundred troops. They were outnumbered, but quality-wise, his side had the edge.

«Everyone focus! Focus!»

«Focus!»

The goblins’ voices boomed, unyielding. Not a single one wavered.

«Around fifteen hundred Grugle have set their sights on Baltadren! We can’t let them have this place! And we sure as hell can’t let them reach Somnium! Am I right or am I wrong!»

«You’re right!»

«Everyone got their weapons squared away!»

«Yes! That we do!»

«Good! Open the gate! We’re going to wipe them out!»

«Waaaaaaaaah!»

«Keurruk! Keurruk!»

The North Gate swung open. Moments later, Go Byeonggap at the lead, three hundred combat troops surged out.

«Doran! Dorma! Kiriyan! Turka!»

Go Byeonggap called out each key fighter’s name one by one. His voice cut clean through the rising roar.

«Yes! I’m here, My Lord!»

«I hear you, My Lord!»

«Speak!»

«We need to strike first! Break their formation! Keep pace and stick close to me!»

«Yep!»

«Wooooaaah!»

Go Byeonggap unleashed his internal energy to the fullest and kicked off the ground. In an instant, he became a cannonball streaking across the wasteland.

“Aaaarrrgh…!”

“Owwwrk! Owwwuuuh…!”

The Grugle horde let out monstrous cries. The distance between them narrowed to fifty paces. It was right about then that Go Byeonggap’s brow furrowed.

‘They’re different from the ones before?’

These Grugles were nothing like the ones he’d seen before — different in appearance, different in aura. They were genuinely grotesque.

Each one was unique. Every last one wore a different bizarre shape. None of them looked like a living creature should.

Take the one made entirely of eyes.

Another had legs sprouting from its head, crawling along on them.

There were things with ten mouths and thirty arms.

One of them even stood over five meters tall.

“Tch!”

Whatever they were, he couldn’t let a single one past this point. Go Byeonggap channeled internal energy into his sword and swung it with savage force. A massive blade of energy erupted from the tip and lashed out in every direction.

The energy wave struck a Grugle and exploded on contact. Rotten chunks of flesh scattered through the air.

The stench of decay began to churn across the wasteland.