Returning through the vanishing Gate always came with a strange sensation—like leaving a piece of yourself behind. This time, it was worse. The mist swirling inside the portal felt heavy, clinging like sludge. Yeon Woo took a step forward, and the world collapsed back onto him with its gray, clammy reality.
He stood in ruins. Where the entry point had been, a black vortex now gaped, slowly sucking in wisps of mist. The nearby players, upon noticing him, quickly stepped aside. Some, recognizing his face, whispered his name—the name already wrapped in rumor and speculation.
But Yeon Woo paid no attention.
His fingers instinctively opened his profile:
Name: Yeon WooLevel: 20Health: 97%Stamina: 78%Active Skills: "Moonblade Dance" (Lv. 7), "Regeneration" (Lv. 6), "Heightened Perception" (Lv. 4), "Blooming" (2nd Circle), "Rotting Explosion" (Lv. 2), "Core Absorption" (Lv. 1)Passive Skills: "Steel Instinct" (Lv. 5), "Greed" (Lv. 1)Unique Traits: Regressor (Cycle 2)New: "Faceless Core" (Not Activated)
His gaze lingered on the new line—Faceless Core. It still lay dormant in his inventory—a clump of dirty-white light, barely pulsating with something not quite alive.
"Should I…?" Yeon Woo hesitated.In his past life, cores like this didn't appear often. And they weren't always safe. Some became curses, slowly devouring their hosts from within.
But there was no choice. In this world, every step forward demanded a price.
He activated the core.
In the same instant, his body twisted in convulsions. His chest constricted as if crushed; his lungs refused to draw breath. Red rings swam before his eyes.
[Adaptation to "Faceless Core" has begun.][Progress: 32%...][Danger: High.]
Yeon Woo dropped to one knee, grinding his teeth. "Regeneration" activated on its own, trying to mend internal damage—but this core wasn't simple. It sought to rewrite him, to imprint its chimera-like nature into every cell of his body.
[Progress: 71%...][Warning: 7% chance of mutation.]
Words flashed before his eyes, but Yeon Woo stayed silent. He knew he had to endure. The second circle of "Blooming" unfolded within him, calming the assault. He regained control of his breath.
[Process complete.][Skill Acquired: "Facelessness" (Lv. 1)][Description: Temporary merge with mist; detection chance reduced by 80%; mental attack resistance increased.]
His fingers still trembled slightly. But with the tremor came a new sensation: his body felt lighter, more fluid. Less present. Less noise in his blood.
"Interesting..." he thought."It'll be harder to track me now. Especially for those who rely on instinct."
He rose slowly to his feet.
Above him, lightning flashed, streaking pale veins across the torn sky. Somewhere nearby, a new storm was forming.
Yeon Woo stared into the void, but his thoughts were focused on the future.In this world, within a few months, the first invasions of other races would begin. The Tower would no longer be confined to trials. Earth would become the arena for a far bloodier game.
He knew this.
He had lived it.
And now, as time looped once more, he had a chance to prepare.
He had to become stronger. Faster. Quieter.
Step by step.
Like a wolf in the forest, he made his way toward his next target.
He passed through the ruins of an old residential district. According to his memory, a nest should appear here soon—a special type of monster: an infected hydra. The creature was powerful, but the cores it dropped allowed players to break through to new stages of physical development.
Along the way, Yeon Woo checked his profile again, brushing across the new notifications:
[Passive Effect Activated – "Facelessness": Footstep noise reduced by 90%.]
"Useful," he noted as he slid through the corridors of abandoned buildings.
People once lived here. Now—only emptiness. Wallpaper peeled from the walls, doors torn off their frames, windows yawning with black voids. Somewhere in the distance, a guttural howl echoed—familiar now, almost intimate.
When he reached the edge of the district, he felt it.
The stench of decay. Vile. Clinging.
The hydra was here.
He ducked behind a crumbling concrete wall and activated "Heightened Perception." The world around him sharpened: every sound, every tiny creature moving in the rubble. But most importantly—there, in the center of the square, pulsed a massive form.
The hydra's heads swayed in rhythm with its slow breath. Each neck ended in a maw lined with crooked teeth.
And all of them were hungry.
"Blooming" surged through his body. Yeon Woo felt every muscle respond. His arms turned light as air. His legs—solid as steel.
He began with "Facelessness."
Shadow wrapped around him. Yeon Woo glided toward his target, merging with the mist. The hydra didn't notice. Its heads turned, searching, but saw nothing.
He slipped in close.
The first strike hit the neck joint of the nearest head. The blade slid in like butter. The hydra shrieked, lurching upward—but Yeon Woo was already gone.
The second strike—beneath the knee. The massive body faltered, off balance.
Third strike—directly in the eye.
[Critical Hit Landed.][EXP +500.]
The hydra thrashed, tearing through its surroundings.
Yeon Woo danced between the strikes. He didn't swing wildly. Every move was calculated, precise—like a predator that knew its prey's anatomy.
Three heads were severed before the beast even understood what was happening.
The remaining heads roared in unison.
One of the maws lunged in a desperate strike. Yeon Woo barely dodged. Teeth sliced the air inches from his throat.
He countered with a blow that carried all the acceleration of "Blooming" and the weight of his pent-up fury.
[Monster Critically Wounded.][Resistance Falling.]
The hydra could no longer stand. Its blood—thick, nearly black—splattered across the cracked asphalt.
The final blow pierced its heart.
The beast collapsed.
[Monster Defeated.][Loot Obtained: Rotten Hydra Core.][EXP +4500.][Level Up: 20 → 21.]
Yeon Woo stood over the body, breathing heavily. Regeneration had already begun mending the minor wounds.
He opened his profile again.
Name: Yeon WooLevel: 21Active Skills (new): "Venom Strength" (Lv. 0, Unactivated)
He looked at the glowing crystal in his hand—the hydra's core. One more step.
Another scar on the path he had to walk.
And the path was only beginning.