The book was a Skill Scroll, the [Skill: Quick Step]. This was a crucial mobility skill that allowed a short, swift burst of speed, vital for dodging.
With [Quick Step] now integrated into his System, Hae Seong had exactly what he needed: a powerful weapon and a reliable defensive skill. He had gained more in five minutes of clever play than a dozen hours of normal grinding would provide. He strapped the new sword to his back and headed back to the main tunnel, ready to face the regular enemies, now armed with a massive advantage.
Hae Seong exited the hidden passage, armed with the [Starter Rune-Sword of the Vanguard] and the valuable [Quick Step] skill. The green overlay of his [Map Sense] guided him effortlessly down the main, obvious corridor.
He quickly encountered a few groups of Goblin Grunts—stronger than the scout, but no match for his superior weapon. He moved with a practiced economy of motion, utilizing his agility and the speed granted by his bonus stats. Each swift kill triggered a visible EXP gain. Before he reached the massive double doors marked [TUTORIAL GATE BOSS ROOM], a familiar blue flash confirmed his progress: [LEVEL UP! Level 3]. The class watching the drone feed would be charting his terrifyingly efficient ascent.
Based on his [Map Sense] data, Hae Seong knew something was wrong. An E-grade tutorial should have an E grade boss. Instead, the system tag over the doors read: [D-GRADE APPRENTICE OGRE – WARNING: UNEXPECTED DIFFICULTY]. This was the price of the hidden path—greater risk for greater reward.
The fight was fierce. The Apprentice Ogre was massive and clumsy, but its hits carried true force. Hae Seong utilized his [Quick Step] continuously, darting around the Ogre's crushing blows, using his Agility over raw Strength. The Rune-Sword finally found the Ogre's weak point (which he spotted using Appraisal), and the beast fell with a final, echoing crash.
As the final death cry faded, Hae Seong gasped, clutching his side. He had dodged dozens of blows, but one swipe had connected, leaving a deep, painful scrape across his ribs. The class watching would see the blood clearly.
The System, recognizing his exceptional feat, unleashed a flood of notifications:
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: TUTORIAL BOSS SOLO] [ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: HIDDEN PATH COMPLETION] [ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: FIRST D-GRADE SOLO] [TITLE UNLOCKED: SOLO DUNGEON EXECUTIONER] (Legendary Rank – +1 to all base stats permanently)
Hae Seong, bleeding but powered by adrenaline, quickly collected the main boss loot and stumbled back out of the shimmering Gate. The moment he crossed the threshold, the System recognized the school as a [SAFE ZONE]. The bleeding slowed, and a soothing wave of green light washed over him as the tutorial-level [Regeneration] kicked in, sealing his minor wounds.
The door to the classroom burst open, and before the students could cheer, Chae-won was across the hall. She didn't speak; she simply threw her arms around him, burying her face into his shoulder.
Chae-won (Voice muffled and shaking): "You idiot! You absolute idiot! I saw the blood! You almost died! You promised me you knew what you were doing!"
He hugged her back, his body still humming with the after-effects of the fight. The students watching saw not just a level-up machine, but a vulnerable human. He was their hero, but the cost was real. The authority was solidified not just by his power, but by his sacrifice and survival.
The system's [SAFE ZONE] designation for the school became the initial base, but it was clear it couldn't last. The threat was still out there, and resources were dwindling.
Under Hae Seong's calm, focused direction, the students who had armed themselves began their own, supervised training. They hunted the weak, leftover Goblin Scouts that strayed too far from the now-closed Gate. They earned basic EXP and discovered the core loop of the System. Hae Seong, watching them safely gain their first levels, reinforced the importance of teamwork and caution.
Before Hae Seong left to scout a more permanent, stable refuge, he found Chae-won. Still shaken from watching his near-fatal fight with the D-Grade Ogre, she refused to let him go alone.
Chae-won: "I saw what happened inside that dungeon, Hae Seong! You can't just run off again. I'm going with you." Hae Seong (Gently): He drew her into a hug, stroking her hair. "Hey. Look at me. I'm Level 3 now, and I have the Map Sense skill. I won't risk that again. I promise. I need you to be safe, so I can concentrate. I'm doing this for all of us." His quiet, absolute conviction finally broke her resolve. Reluctantly, she agreed to wait.
Hae Seong safely led the entire class and the few other survivors out of the school and toward the military's established disaster relief camp. There, he transferred the responsibility of their safety and food supply to the uniformed personnel, ensuring they were protected by established defenses. With his class safe, his immediate obligation was complete, and he was free to focus on leveling up.
Hae Seong immediately left the safety of the camp. Armed with his Rune-Sword and [Quick Step], he targeted higher-EXP monsters in the abandoned outskirts of the city—fast Wolves, then the tougher, stronger Apprentice Ogres (now easier than the D-grade boss he fought). He fought relentlessly, relying on superior tactics and his game knowledge to defeat enemies several levels above him, maximizing his EXP gains.
The System rewards swift progression. Once his level counter rolled to Level 15, a new, complex notification appeared—the moment of Class Selection had arrived. Hae Seong, leveraging his deep knowledge of the game's meta, didn't choose a standard fighter class. He chose the rare and powerful Necromancer class.
[CLASS SELECTED: NECROMANCER] [ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: FIRST CLASS USER] [ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: FIRST NECROMANCER]
The Necromancer class immediately granted him his first core skill: [Soul Extraction]. He practiced the skill on the remains of the wolves and ogres he had just slain, the glowing essence of their spirits flowing into his System. This accumulation of souls was the currency for summoning his first undead minions.
Now Level 15 and a newly designated Necromancer, Hae Seong returned to the military camp. He was instantly recognizable as a "player," dressed in his reinforced gear. Chae-won saw him first and ran, throwing her arms around him, openly crying tears of relief and scolding him with worried affection.
He noted the presence of other players in the camp—individuals who had successfully navigated their own tutorial dungeons. They were Level 5 to 7, proudly discussing their new sword skills or fire spells, showing that the global awakening was progressing. These players knew the basics, but none showed the rapid, strategic growth Hae Seong had.
At that exact moment, a new, massive, gold-framed System window materialized globally. It was the Official Global Player Leaderboard. Every player in the camp—Hae Seong, Chae-won, the military personnel, and the new players—looked up in stunned silence.
[GLOBAL PLAYER RANKING: LIVE]
#1: Player [DELETED USERNAME] - Level 15
#2: [UNKNOWN] - Level 8
#3: [UNKNOWN] - Level 7
The name Ascension Protocol players knew as the game's unbeatable top player was [DELETED USERNAME]. The fact that the Rank 1 player was already Level 15, miles ahead of everyone else, was staggering.
Hae Seong felt a dozen eyes turn to him—the only Level 15 player in the vicinity. The other players in the camp muttered in confusion, trying to figure out who the mysterious Rank 1 was. Chae-won, looking from the towering Level 15 number to Hae Seong's face, finally understood the cold, focused confidence he carried.
Hae Seong simply sighed, knowing his secret was useless to keep now. He raised his hand toward the screen.
"I'm [DELETED USERNAME]," he said, his voice quiet but commanding. "Now let's talk about how to protect this camp."
Hae Seong's secret was out. As the silence settled over the military camp, all eyes—from the scared high school students to the skeptical military commanders and the bewildered lower-level players—were fixed on the young man who was secretly the Rank 1 Player globally.
Before anyone could fully process the reveal, the System gave the players and the military a terrifying reality check. A massive, blood-red alert flashed across every screen in the camp:
[CRITICAL ALERT: E-GRADE SAFE ZONE VIOLATION IMMINENT] Gate Instability Detected: North Sector - Abandoned Factory. Expected Dungeon Grade: D (Dangerous) Time to Break: 4 Hours.
The air over the abandoned factory, three kilometers from the military camp, grew heavy with ozone and dread. The blood-red [CRITICAL ALERT] screen was still visible to everyone, counting down the minutes to the inevitable D-Grade Dungeon Break. The military commander paced nervously, his pistol uselessly heavy at his hip.
Hae Seong stood on a makeshift command post, the wind whipping his coat. His Level 15 status and the confirmed Rank 1 position silenced all dissent. He ignored the skeptical looks of the other low-level players. He was focused on the map, calculating defense vectors.
With thirty minutes left, Hae Seong made his move. He drew on the soul essence he had collected from the ogres and wolves. The air crackled with dark energy as he enacted his first mass summoning.
[NECROMANCER SKILL: SUMMON WRAITH BRIGADE]
A swirling vortex of shadows coalesced before the terrified eyes of the soldiers. Three lean, ethereal figures—Skeletal Warriors clad in spectral armor—stood ready. Their empty eye sockets glowed with cold command. This was the first visible display of the game's true power, and it instantly bolstered the morale of the defenders, even as it chilled them.