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When the Giant Golem fell, system notifications scrolled by like crazy.

<SYSTEM: You've killed the Gate Boss ‘Giant Golem.' You gained 525,170 (+30%) experience points.>

<SYSTEM: An additional 50% experience points of 262,585 has been granted as compensation for ???. The experience value is full.>

<SYSTEM: You leveled up. The default ability value has increased, and the status window has been updated.>

<SYSTEM: You've got a Skill Book as a reward for wiping out the Giant Golem. You can check it in the inventory.>

<SYSTEM: The contents of the Skill Book will be changed as a reward for ???. You've obtained the 'Dwarf's Production Set' as an appendix. You can check it in the inventory.>

<SYSTEM: You've wiped out the Boss monster in the shortest time.>

<SYSTEM: You acquired the title "Faster than a Rabbit.">

<SYSTEM: The title effect increases attack speed by 3 seconds.>

<SYSTEM: The title effect will be guaranteed with additional compensation for ???. Attack speed increased by 10%.>

<SYSTEM: The Gate will disappear if you destroy the Summoning Stone.>

User: Lee Byeong-gi Lv. 23]

[Title: Faster than a Rabbit]

-Title effect: (Faster than a Rabbit) Attack speed increased by 10%.

[Vitality: 85, MP: 90 (+9.0)]

[Skills: Lv. Max Insight (Passive), Lv. Max Mana Drain (Passive), Lv. Max Advanced Potions Crafting (Passive), Lv. 4 Enhancement, Lv. 4 Mana Shield]

“...”

[...Is "Faster than a Rabbit" also a Hidden Piece?]

"Yeah... But I don't like this title very much."

[You, are you...?]

"No, I'm not!"

[Why did you get angry?]

Thanks to the title "Shining SOLO," I quickly leveled up at this Gate.

I also got the Skill Book for weapon production that I was aiming for, on top of the compensation for ???.

[What's ‘compensation for ???’]

"I don't know, either. It's likely a result of a system malfunction."

[Error... Are you sure that's different from the past that you know?]

"Yes. It must have changed the moment I arrived here."

[Let me rephrase my question. It's different from the information you know, correct?]

"Yes, that's correct."

"It's hard for me to say anything definitive right now."

[Well, there's a high possibility that system error is related to you.]

"First, let's eliminate those monsters outside the Gate."

[They've been there for a while]

"I'm worried about that. By the way, the Skeleton bones are all broken, and the Goblin's Sword is damaged."

No matter how much I tried to protect them with Blade Energy, it was inevitable.

[It's because you used them to hit rocks. It would be fine if you'd reached the level of using Strong Blade Energy.]

"Well, I've got the weapon production skill now, so I'll consider that later."

I quickly left the Gate.

There were three Stone Golems outside the Gate. If the Hunter Management Bureau had arrived in time, they would take care of them.

"Have they evacuated the trainees?"

I got anxious and picked up speed with the Heavenly Demon Air-Stride.

Soon enough, my anxieties became a reality.

The New Recruits' Training Battalion building was completely destroyed, and many crushed bodies littered the ground outside.

A furious rage started building in my chest.

[Calm down. It's not your fault]

“...”

I found Yoo So-eun and a familiar crew trying to destroy a Stone Golem.

That would leave only two, but the battalion's Awakened soldiers struggled to deal with the monsters.

"Fucking monsters!"

[Don't get so agitated. If you don't do it right, you might fall into your Inner Demon.]

The Heavenly Demon’s warning awoke me.

As he said that, I felt my inner power flowing backward as I grew over-excited.

I held my breath, activated the Heavenly Demon Replication, and rushed toward the Stone Golem while boosting my inner power.

The Heavenly Demon shouted in surprise.

[What are you thinking?]

I couldn't help but be angry; I wanted to set things straight.

"Move aside!"

The soldiers blocking the Stone Golem's attack seemed surprised when I appeared.

"So-eun, evacuate all your troops out of the camp!"

"What?"

"Quickly!"

Yoo So-eun seemed frightened when she made eye contact with me, but she hastily retreated with the troops.

After confirming they were clear, I raised my inner power to the limit and blocked the Stone Golem’s path directly.

[I understand how you feel, but do you have to do this?]

"I'll turn you all into dust!"

I was even more upset that the monsters couldn't feel any pain.

Shhhhhhh-

"Demonic Dragon-"

The air began to swirl around me, gathering at the tip of my sword.

"Era!"

Rumble-

A tremendous explosion shook the ground, and one of the Storm Golems exploded.

The first form of the second stage of the Demonic Dragon’s Eight-Blade Style was fierce. I continued into the second form.

"Demonic Dragon-"

 [I told you not to get too agitated. Connecting the forms of the second stage is still too much for you.]

"Force."

Rumble.

Bang!

A peal of thunder echoed around me as all my inner power drained out of my body.

<SYSTEM: All magic power is exhausted, and the title effect of "Two Hearts" is applied.>

<SYSTEM: Magic is refilled.>

[Were you relying on this? Tsk, tsk... Isn't the energy in your blood boiling like crazy? Remember what I told you, it's too much.]

My inner power recharged due to the title’s effect, but I couldn’t calm the boiling blood surging through my veins.

"Gasp!"

I tasted blood.

[You've got internal injuries thanks to that move. Fortunately, they’re not that serious]

"But I feel much better anyway... Cough."

I barely managed to speak as I coughed up blood.

[Madman!]

The Heavenly Demon kept cursing at me, but I'd already done it.

When the monsters disappeared into dust, my anger subsided, and I finally calmed down.

Still, I wasn’t sure how to feel about what happened.

[Just exercise your energy.]

"I'll do it later."

[You're going to get sick.]

The consecutive attacks of the first and second forms of the second stage were devastating, consequences aside.

The Stone Golems had disappeared without a trace, and a vast crater had appeared around me.

"What kind of destructive power comes out when you demonstrate the three forms in a row?"

[It's hard to explain. If your level is high enough to use Strong Energy, you can create greater destruction than this by using the third move alone.]

"Heavenly Demon Cult created tremendous Martial Arts skills, huh."

[Are you acknowledging it only just now?]

"I already knew it was great, but this is a bit unbalanced."

[And you’re only now aware that it's unbalanced?]

"Byeong-gi, are you okay?"

Yoo So-eun ran up with a worried expression. It seemed she had seen me cough up blood.

"I'm all right. I just worked a little too hard this time."

"You don't look fine at all. But at least your eyes are back to normal."

"What?"

"The look in your eyes was quite terrifying. Are you really fine?"

"Yes I am, don’t worry. What's the damage status?"

When I asked, Yoo So-eun's face suddenly turned dark.

"Well..."

I felt my blood boil again as Yoo So-eun explained the situation.

There was less damage compared to the incident I lived through before, but as many as 20 training soldiers were lost.

It seemed like in the end, they had ignored my warning.

Or in other words, they ignored the orders given by the Management Bureau and handled the situation however they wanted.

"It's because the Management Bureau still doesn't have much power. In addition, this area suffered little damage from monsters during the First and Second Cataclysms. They didn't know how horrifying the monsters could be."

"How could they not know? It's so serious that martial law was declared..."

"Until the most recent Cataclysm, it was understood that Gates occurred only in large, densely populated cities. And the recent destruction of national infrastructure also affected regional communication."

"But I still don't understand why they ignored orders from the Bureau."

"It's a matter of hierarchy. I have nothing to say about that. Although the military units around the metropolitan area have settled down to some extent under the President’s direction..."

I then understood what she meant.

The Management Bureau was said to hold a higher authority, but it fell behind the ranks of its command system.

The tight military culture and the outdated ideas of soldiers as consumables led to this desperate struggle.

The Management Bureau later became a completely independent institution that wasn’t affected by those divisions following this incident.

[Be patient. It's already happened; there’s no changing that.]

‘Would you be patient if you were in my shoes?’

[They'd probably already be dead by my hands.]

‘It's not right to kill, but I won't put up with it.’

"Where are you going?"

"Where's the operation office?"

"W-What are you planning to do?"

"I want to see his face!"

"Byeong-gi, the Management Bureau will..."

***

Operations Control Office.

Major Kim Min-joon was on his knees, raising his hands against the wall as if he were an elementary school student being punished.

"Stop it now, Mr. Byeong-gi."

Yoo So-eun ordered me to stop, but her eyes were smiling.

[This kid has an evil side, too.]

They were surprised when I suddenly showed up in the operation control room and started beating up their superior officer. But they looked fairly pleased after a while.

With that alone, I fully understood how he usually treated his subordinates.

I smacked Kim Min-joon across the back of his head one more time.

Whack-

"Gasp!"

It made me angry again just thinking about it.

At first, Kim Min-joon shouted, "Who are you?" and swore at me.

Once I hit him with the Perished Soul’s Eight Fists, he changed from calling me a “son of a bitch” to saying, "Sir, I'm sorry."

It wasn't a pleasant thing to beat an old man.

[You've beaten him mercilessly regardless.]

‘Considering the sacrificed soldiers, I've shown mercy to him.’

"Do you feel comfortable putting soldiers to death?"

“...”

"Why did you ignore orders from the Management Bureau?"

"The battalion commander..."

"Where's the battalion commander?"

"I-I don't know…."

Whack-

"I-I'm sorry,"

"Really?"

“...”

It would be nice if I could check the status window of the general public, not just the Awakened.

[You'd have a lot of trouble living if you could. There are a lot of times in life when you have to pretend not to know something, even though you do.]

"Mr. Byeong-gi, the Bureau will take care of it now. That's enough."

[So-eun will get into trouble if you keep going. Just stop it now.]

He was right. Even now, Yoo So-eun was already in a difficult situation. If she returned to the office, she might suffer even more.

Perhaps Yoo So-eun would take full responsibility for this incident.

[I don't understand that.]

‘Korea is that kind of place.’

[Hmm, I have nothing to say to that.]

It was a funny world. High status and power should be bound with more responsibility.

However, in our country, the top leaders took responsibility only formally when a significant incident occurred. The real damage was inflicted on those toiling hard for them.

Afterward, they would return in one way or another.

Wasn't it funny?

"So-eun."

"What?"

"If this gets you into trouble, just quit."

Yoo So-eun's eyes opened big and then curled into smiling half-moons.

"Why, will you marry me then?"

She suddenly hit me with one of those random questions again.

[What a strange kid.]

“...”

"What? Are you really going to marry me?"

The conversation became strange. The officers in the operations control room listened with their ears perked.

"Let's stop joking. I'm just saying that if you quit, join our guild."

"Hmm… I'll think about it."

"If this gets you in trouble..."

"Then?"

"Just forget it."

"Oh, my? Why don't you finish that thought?"

“...”

[You were going to break everything, right?]

‘I know, I think I got too worked up. I'm not even that close to So-eun.'

[I also saw that kid's status window. Didn't that shake your mind for a second?]

"Hey, raise your hands properly!"

"I'm sorry!"

[Don't skip over it like that…Kukuku.]

When the situation settled to some extent and the reinforcements arrived, they were given orders to return. Communications had also been restored.

Feeling that I had put myself under too much exertion, I decided to travel with So-eun by helicopter.

"But, Mr. Byeong-gi? How on earth did you get here? Seol-ah said that you were in Seoul..."

“...”

[Do you think it makes sense to pretend to sleep in this noisy place?]

Tatatatata-

The helicopter made a tremendous amount of noise.

***

"We've failed."

"That's an unexpected result. Is he that strong?"

"He took less than an hour to defeat the Boss."

"How long does it usually take?"

"It depends on the size of the Gate and the type of monster, but if it's this size, it will take a party of five over half a day.”

"But he finished it in an hour?"

"It seems there is something else he can get as he didn't break the Summoner's Stone. And he must have received better compensation with the increased difficulty."

"Of course, we can't confirm what kind of reward he got, right?"

"That’s correct."

"This fucking system!

"It's not that there's no way to catch him."

"Is there a good way we can use?"

"It's a common but often used method."

"Don't hesitate. Just tell me what it is."

"We can't intervene directly in the ‘In Between World.’ So..."