The night had been long, but the first sunrise in the Tower was near.
Joon-ho sat by the dying embers of his fire, sharpening his knife with slow, methodical strokes. His expression was calm, indifferent—as if he hadn't just spent the night butchering monsters in the darkness.
The smell of blood still clung to the air.
Beyond the firelight, the forest remained eerily silent. No more howls. No more footsteps. The weak were dead.
Joon-ho exhaled. "How many survived?"
He wasn't asking anyone in particular. The system would answer.
[First Night Survival Report]
Total Players at Start: 500,000,000Players Eliminated: 32,405,112Players Remaining: 467,594,888
Joon-ho let out a quiet scoff.
Over 30 million dead.
And this was just the first night.
Survival of the Fittest
A faint rustling came from the trees.
Joon-ho didn't react. He simply continued sharpening his knife.
Moments later, Yoon Ha-ri stumbled back into the clearing.
Her face was pale. Her hands were covered in blood. But she was still alive.
She staggered forward and collapsed onto her knees, panting heavily.
Her body was covered in scratches and bruises. Her clothes were torn. In her right hand, she clutched a bloodied rock, its jagged edge coated in fresh gore.
Joon-ho gave her a glance. "How many?"
Ha-ri gritted her teeth. "Three."
She had fought three monsters. Alone.
Joon-ho smirked. Not bad.
The average newbie wouldn't have even survived one.
A Lesson in Strength
"I almost died," Ha-ri muttered.
Joon-ho flicked his knife, sending a thin shard of steel glinting in the firelight. Then he turned to face her fully.
"No. You should have died."
Her fingers tensed.
"If those monsters had been just a little stronger, you wouldn't be sitting here right now." Joon-ho's voice was cold, void of sympathy. "You aren't strong yet. You got lucky."
Ha-ri's gaze hardened, but she didn't argue.
Good. She wasn't stupid.
Joon-ho stood up, stretching. The first rays of morning light began piercing through the fog.
"The Tower doesn't reward the lucky. It rewards the strong. If you want to survive, then kill first. Kill efficiently."
He sheathed his knife. "Or die."
Ha-ri's lips parted slightly. But in the end, she said nothing.
She understood.
Joon-ho turned away. "Eat. Rest if you need to. We move soon."
Ha-ri blinked. "Move? Where?"
Joon-ho smirked.
"To the First Gate."
The Tutorial's Endgame
The First Gate was the true goal of the Tutorial Zone.
It was the only way out.
Most players wouldn't even know about it yet. They were still stumbling through the forest, trying to make sense of what had happened.
But Joon-ho?
He had already cleared this place before.
He knew exactly what was coming.
[Tutorial Zone Completion Conditions]Option 1: Survive for 7 Days (Risk: High)Option 2: Kill 100 Monsters (Risk: Medium)Option 3: Reach the First Gate (Risk: ???)
Most players would struggle to reach 100 kills. Others would try to survive for seven days, which was practically suicide.
But the First Gate?
It was the fastest route out.
It was also the deadliest.
Joon-ho licked his lips.
It would be fun.
The First Real Battle
The two of them moved through the morning mist. The forest was still littered with corpses—players and monsters alike. Some bodies had already started rotting, the scent of decay thick in the air.
Ha-ri kept quiet as they walked.
She was learning.
No wasted words. No unnecessary questions.
Then—
A rustling in the distance.
Joon-ho stopped. His sharp gaze flicked toward the movement. Not a monster.
Players.
At least five.
He could hear their hushed voices.
"…You think he's got anything valuable?"
"Look at him. Dude's covered in blood but doesn't even look tired. You sure about this?"
"Shut up. We outnumber him. He's just one guy. If we all attack at once—"
Joon-ho smiled.
Idiots.
The First Kill (Human Edition)
The moment one of them stepped forward—Joon-ho moved.
His knife flashed.
Blood sprayed.
A gurgled scream filled the air as one of the men collapsed, clutching his throat.
One down.
The others hesitated—too slow.
Joon-ho lunged again, his knife carving through flesh and tendons with terrifying precision.
Two down.
"Shit! Run—"
Joon-ho grabbed the third man by the hair, yanking his head back before slitting his throat.
Three down.
The last two turned to flee. Mistake.
Joon-ho's knife flew through the air.
Shhk.
A clean throw—straight into the fourth man's back. He staggered, fell, then stopped moving.
Only one left.
The last man ran as fast as he could, feet pounding against the ground.
Ha-ri watched in silence, wide-eyed.
Joon-ho didn't move. He simply waited.
And then—
The final player screamed.
From the shadows, a monstrous, reptilian jaw snapped forward—and tore him apart.
Joon-ho smirked.
"Too loud."
The Next Challenge
The beast emerged.
A Basilisk.
[Basilisk - Lesser Guardian]Level: 12Abilities: [Petrifying Gaze], [Venomous Bite], [Enhanced Scales]
Ha-ri froze.
Joon-ho grinned.
Perfect.
A real opponent.
He rolled his shoulders, then cracked his neck.
"I needed a warm-up."
And with that, he charged.