Honestly, when his face was being beaten to a pulp, Byeonggap thought about giving up. A hyena can hunt a lion, sure, but only one that’s strayed from the pride—old and sick.

Who would’ve imagined two healthy lions would be standing guard by the target?

But still. Still.

‘I’m too pissed off.’

Go Byeonggap was grinding his teeth. The prey was right there, practically caught! And not just any prey—the bastard was worth a whole 1.5 billion!

‘No manners at all… How dare they interrupt a one-on-one duel?’

Someone once said anger is the greatest fuel. Truer words never spoken. When you’re blind with rage, your rational judgment might blur, but your drive goes through the roof.

‘Ancient Shop. Soul of Trobatin. 700,000 crystals. Shut up and buy.’

On impulse, Go Byeonggap bought the Soul of Trobatin.

This vessel? It was the leading hero in the Northern Expedition—the one who slew the balrog. Taking his soul could grant power rivaling the upper echelons of S-rank. Though it came with horrific side effects.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he attempted assimilation with the soul.

[Assimilation begins. 1%, 2%, 3%…]

“Ngh…!”

Memories not his own flooded into his skull. Last time, it was the memory of an army sweeping across a vast plain. This time was different.

-All units! Commence firing!

At the order, thousands—tens of thousands—of arrows loosed in unison. They blotted out the sky and rained down on the enemy. Archers emptied their quivers, then split left and right, clearing the way.

-Charge! Charge forward!

-We must die on this battlefield! Let these divine soldiers see the true might of Saraon!

-For Landriol!

Soldiers armed with swords, spears, and blunt weapons sprinted forward with battle cries. Their resolve was grim, their willingness to face death palpable.

But when the dark, clouded sky split open and something colossal emerged, even that ferocity and courage were swallowed by fear.

-It’s Alsharon!

-A d-divine… a Divine Warrior has appeared!

-R-run! Save us!

Alsharon was a giant over fifty meters tall. The spear he wielded was larger and thicker than any pillar in Asvillam.

Once that spear swept across the earth, catastrophe followed. Before such merciless violence, the soldiers of Saraon were no more than ants.

Trobatin watched from afar as his subordinates were swept away. His clenched fist dug so deep his nails drew blood, which dripped steadily.

Today, I will finally take that bastard down!

He seized his cone-shaped longspear and launched into the air.

Alsharon sensed the shift and turned. Then he thrust his massive spear. From Trobatin’s perspective, it looked like a meteor falling.

-Alsharooooon!!

Trobatin’s solitary roar ended the recollection.

[Error! The spirit and flesh are not suitable to receive this soul. Assimilation rate decreases.]

[Physical strength has not reached the threshold. Assimilation rate decreases.]

[Assimilation with the Soul of Trobatin complete. Assimilation rate: 73.95%]

“Hahk, hahk, hahk… Ugh! Uwaaaaah!!”

With the soul fully assimilated, a struggle for control of the self began.

Go Byeonggap clung to his consciousness desperately. He repeated his rage over and over, refusing to yield to the ancient wraith that coveted his body.

After several minutes of that invisible battle, he barely regained his composure. His body was drenched in sweat.

‘That was close. I nearly got consumed.’

Only now did it truly sink in just how absurd a gamble he’d pulled. For a handful of coins… .

‘Not exactly a handful. Three of them together make 4.5 billion.’

Still, he’d wagered his body over money. There was no getting around how childish that was. What’s more, 700,000 crystals could’ve built the goblins several more houses.

“This is the crystal they sweated blood to gather. I can’t waste it. … Kids, hold on. Once I collect the bounty, I’ll stuff you with beef until you burst!”

Go Byeonggap carved the vow into his chest and started chasing after the thugs who’d fled.

* * *

“Alpha, run.”

Omega set Alpha down and whispered. Though the mask hid his expression, Alpha’s face was twisted in a grimace.

“What are you saying? How can I run alone? Let’s stick together instead… .”

“You saw what happened to Beta. He’s not something we can fight. Go to the Point and bring the Master back.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. What can you, the weakest of us, possibly do?”

“I’ll release the limit.”

Omega rolled up her left sleeve. Seven bracelets, binding her arm like shackles, were revealed. Just from the finish and material, one could tell they were high-grade artifacts.

Without hesitation, Omega grabbed the first bracelet and pulled, straining to tear it off. Alpha immediately stopped her.

“Are you insane? This isn’t the time to use that!”

“If all three of us get caught here, it’s over anyway. I’ll hold him off—you take Beta and run.”

“That man doesn’t intend to kill us. Let’s pretend to surrender for now. The Master will find a way—”

“Where do you little peashooters think you’re running your mouths?”

“Hrk!?”

In the blink of an eye, Go Byeonggap was upon them, his sword lashing out. Alpha and Omega barely reacted in time, throwing their bodies aside.

When the sword struck the ground, a massive crater erupted. The trees nearby couldn’t withstand the shockwave and were ripped out by their roots.

‘Damn, he’s fast.’

He hadn’t been going all out—this wasn’t meant to kill—but he never expected them to actually dodge it. Not ordinary bastards, as expected.

He lifted the blade he’d slammed down and scattered sword aura in an arc. Dozens of slashes tore through every obstacle in their path, hurtling straight at the assailants.

Try dodging this one too, why don’t you?

“Krugh!”

Alpha thrust both hands forward, weaving a barrier of karma. The shield, layered with dozens of karma membranes, was sturdier than most A-rank tanks could conjure.

But it couldn’t even withstand three of Go Byeonggap’s sword auras before collapsing.

“Keughk!”

Alpha coughed blood and crumpled. Omega quickly stepped in front of him, taking the blows. The storm of sword aura shredded his body mercilessly.

His cloak—everything he’d been wearing—was shredded, revealing a body drenched in blood.

“Ah… ah…”

Alpha fumbled helplessly toward Omega, trying to hoist him onto his back, but his own rag-doll body wouldn’t cooperate.

Then, a flash of light from far away, and a greatsword came hurtling through the air. It aimed for Go Byeonggap’s head with unerring precision.

‘Now what?’

Go Byeonggap didn’t flinch. He unleashed his internal energy from a standstill. The greatsword, unable to withstand the wave of released energy, was deflected helplessly.

In a blur of speed, a figure snatched the ricocheting blade and swung it again. A monstrous amount of karma was condensed within that greatsword.

‘That’s the same bastard from before. If I take that hit raw, it could get dicey.’

He channeled his own internal energy into his sword, turning it into a massive weapon. Moments later, the two titans clashed. Where force met force, a devastating shockwave rippled out from the point of impact.

“Krrrgh!”

Beta was already drenched in cold sweat just from locking blades. He grit his teeth, jaw straining as if they might shatter, when Go Byeonggap’s hand suddenly shot forward.

‘I can’t dodge!’

In the flash of an instant, Beta was seized by the throat.

Crack!

“Kkhahk!”

Without a shred of hesitation, Go Byeonggap hurled his opponent away. The throw was so violent it carved yet another crater into the ground.

Smash! Smash! Smash!

After a few rounds of that, Beta hung limp, like a dead squid. Go Byeonggap hauled him up by the scruff and tossed him to where the other thugs lay sprawled.

Alpha, Beta, and Omega.

To borrow Go Byeonggap’s phrasing, Thug #1, #2, and #3 were all laid out side by side.

But there was no time to celebrate victory or bask in overwhelming power. Go Byeonggap’s expression was grim.

‘I need to hand them over to the hunters before the communion ends.’

When the soul-communion broke, agonizing pain would crash over him. When that happened, he wouldn’t be able to move a single finger, let alone make a handover.

‘Still got some leeway.’

There was enough time. Go Byeonggap approached the neatly sprawled thugs. One of them had taken the sword-ki head-on, leaving his clothes in tatters. His mask was half-torn too.

‘Even if it’s just for the handover, I ought to see their faces.’

Go Byeonggap strode toward them. Alpha, clinging to consciousness, staggered to block his path.

Go Byeonggap started to lift his sword, then stopped. In that state, he didn’t need the blade. A few good slaps would do the trick.

“Let us go!”

A fierce young girl’s voice. Go Byeonggap replied without a shred of sympathy.

“Why should I?”

“You have no idea what’s coming. Something huge—beyond anything you can imagine. If you stop us here, you won’t be able to stop it. You’re strong, so maybe you’ll survive. But most people you know will die!”

“What kind of bullshit is that? That’s the best you could come up with? Creative, sure, but your sincerity is shit.”

“You—you’ll regret this. I swear it!”

“Well, four and a half billion won seems like a pretty generous price for regret.”

“It’s not about some stupid piece of paper!”

“Stupid piece of paper?”

Byeonggap’s face flushed red. The Alpha flinched at the sudden shift in the air.

“That stupid piece of paper is what keeps people from dying, and what brings the dead back. I don’t know what insane idea you idiots had to blow up a power plant, but what I’m doing right now is worth more than anything you’ve ever done.”

“You—you don’t know anything!”

“If you were trying to stall, good effort. But I’ve got a bounty to collect so I can buy beef for the kids. The chit-chat’s over.”

“Mmph!?”

Byeonggap reached out and gripped the Alpha’s head. Then, with a short, violent burst of internal energy, he released its power. The Alpha went limp and collapsed.

“Let’s hurry.”

Byeonggap sheathed his sword and started gathering the fallen thugs. They were small, so he figured he could somehow carry them.

But there was something he needed to do first. He took a short breath, then peeled off the masks covering the thugs’ faces. He started with the woman’s.

‘What the hell?’

The mask wouldn’t come off easily. It clung to her skin like a leech.

‘Is this an artifact too? Rich people really have all kinds of ways to throw money away.’

Still, he wrenched it off with force, and it finally gave way.

The thug’s face was fully revealed. A pale-skinned, blonde-haired girl with exotic features.

‘What… the hell?’

The moment the thug’s face was revealed, Byeonggap felt all the strength drain from him.

Because he recognized this girl.

‘Then the others…?’

Like a man possessed, he tore off the masks of the other two thugs. He recognized them too.

If his memory served him right, their names were Jane, Do Eunho, and Kang Hancheol.

He’d met them around last summer, when he worked as a porter in an A-rank rift. It was just a one-day temp job, but their impressions had been so strong they were still vivid in his mind.

Why? How could these faces show up here?

‘No wonder I thought something was off!’

He’d thought the group was strange back then, but actually meeting them like this made his mind go blank.

‘What in the hell are these bastards up to?’

The question was basic, almost philosophical. But he shook his head, scattering the thought.

Acquaintances, sure — but not friends. Just people he’d brushed past once. No reason to hesitate about handing them over to the authorities.

Still, he couldn’t shake the chill creeping up his spine. These kids were supposed to be with that woman they called ‘Master’ — so where was she?

The moment the thought formed, a massive killing intent slammed into his back.

‘Shit!’

He spun reflexively, sword whipping out. Something met the blade in a spray of sparks.

His eyes went wide. What he saw made no sense.

Empty air — nothing but an arm and a sword jutting out of thin space. Then the air rippled, revealing more of the figure beneath.

It looked like… one of the gates to Asvillam. And when the shimmer settled, a slender woman in a cloak stood before him.

The hood pulled low hid her face. But Go Byeonggap knew.

‘That woman!’

She glanced past him at the fallen children. Then she flicked her sword hard. Byeonggap stumbled back three or four steps, regaining his stance.

‘That aura — dangerous.’

His instincts screamed.

Goddammit, if he lost the momentum now, what then? He ground his teeth, pouring out internal energy in waves.

That’s when the woman raised an open palm and spoke.

“Stop. There’s no reason for us to fight.”

“Bullshit! You’ve been raiding my fridge like it’s a damn buffet — and you say there’s no reason?”

“……?”

“Who the hell are you people? Why are you doing this?”

The woman, Kim Hana, didn’t answer. She moved toward the children, a high-grade potion in her hand.

“Like hell!”

Byeonggap lunged, sword thrusting forward. But just as it was about to reach her, the blade veered off course — entirely against his will.

Looking again, he saw a dome-shaped barrier had formed around Kim Hana. Inside it, a strange current of energy flowed.

Not a shield. That was…

“It’s useless. I’ve isolated the space. You can’t reach in here —”

“Bullshit!”

“Huh!?”

In an instant, a storm of internal energy roared around his sword. He swung again. The storm began gnawing at the dome, bit by bit.

‘He’s breaking my space?’

Kim Hana’s face twisted in shock. She hurriedly forced the potion into the children’s mouths, then sent them one by one into her subspace.

By the time the space shattered, all three kids had vanished.

Go Byeonggap was just as stunned. So there was someone else in the world who could pull off tricks like that.

The woman scrambled to her feet.

“Calm down!”

“Like you could!”

Four and a half billion just flew right out of my sight—how the hell was he supposed to stay calm? Go Byeonggap could only swing his sword, a bitter laugh clawing up his throat.

The savage blade tore Kim Hana’s hood clean off. Of course—it was the face burned into his memory.

“Tch!”

She leaped back, putting distance between them. Byeonggap didn’t charge in. That big technique had drained him; the assimilation was starting to slip.

She seemed just as tangled in thought.

“Unbelievable. I knew you were an Irregular, but growing this fast…”

“What? Irregular?”

“That’s what we call those who shatter the world’s frame and grow beyond all limits. I need people like you. I should have found you sooner—my mistake. But one thing is certain: I’m not your enemy.”

“What the hell are you—hck!”

Byeonggap dropped to his knees. A hologram flickered before his eyes.

[Assimilation rate too low to hold the Soul of Trobatin.]

[Assimilation terminated.]

[The Soul of Trobatin dissipates.]

It felt like the sky was caving in. Of all times for this to happen!

This was bad. Without that soul, he couldn’t face Kim Hana. And if the backlash hit him with searing pain, even running would be…

‘Wait. This isn’t so bad, is it?’

It was different this time. Last time, the agony had nearly knocked him unconscious. Now it was just a dull ache, a pins-and-needles throb in his muscles.

Fighting was still out of the question. But he could run.

Cautiously, he sized her up, looking for an opening to bolt.

Then Kim Hana’s gaze snapped to one side. She frowned hard.

Whatever she sensed, Byeonggap felt it too. People—hunters—were coming this way!

“Things always flow in the opposite direction of what you hope, don’t they?”

“Stay back!”

His threat didn’t even make her blink.

He tried to dodge. Too late—her grip was already on him.

“I won’t hurt you. Just a moment’s indiscretion.”

She immediately checked the back of his neck. Then she lifted his shirt, inspecting his back carefully.

“You son of a bitch! What the hell are you…!?”

“Good. Let me give you some advice. Don’t get involved with anyone who has a Hexagram carved on their neck or back, anyone carrying a Hexagram pendant, or anyone belonging to Illumission. They are enemies of humanity.”

“What’s that even supposed to mean?”

“No time.”

Kim Hana grabbed Byeonggap’s head. Then she pulsed a short burst of karma.

Something—a piece of information he’d never known before—seeped into his mind. It was a set of coordinates.

“Come find me there. I’ll explain the truth about the world. Bringing others is useless—you must come alone. That’s all.”

Kim Hana vanished from sight in an instant. It wasn’t some stealth skill. She disappeared, literally.

“Over there!”

“Move!”

Voices rang out from behind—hunters, and close too.

‘Shit. Let’s bail first.’

Go Byeonggap ducked into Asvillam. With the assailant gone, getting spotted by those guys would only mean trouble. Nothing but unnecessary suspicion.

And just as he intended, the hunters found nothing in the mountain that day.