Do-Yoon continued moving through the endless sky above the ocean.
Well…
Calling it "flying" was honestly being generous.
Very generous.
It looked less like a powerful warrior soaring through the heavens and more like a dying bird desperately refusing to accept gravity.
His black cape flapped wildly behind him as strong wind pushed against his body. Manipulator's Hand kept him barely floating above the water while tiny drops of ocean spray continuously hit his face.
Below him—
Nothing.
Just water.
Water to the left.
Water to the right.
Water ahead.
Water behind.
And somehow…
Even more water everywhere else.
Do-Yoon stared blankly at the ocean with exhausted eyes.
"…This exam is garbage."
At first, using Manipulator's Hand to fly across the sea actually felt incredible.
For the first ten minutes, he genuinely thought he looked cool.
Like a mysterious overpowered protagonist from one of those hunter novels.
Wind blowing dramatically.
Dark cape moving.
Cold expression.
Powerful ability.
Everything felt perfect.
But reality quickly ruined the moment.
Because unlike fantasy protagonists—
His body actually got tired.
His arms slowly started hurting from maintaining the skill continuously.
His head became dizzy.
Sweat formed on his forehead despite the cold wind.
Every second felt heavier than the last.
Manipulator's Hand consumed mana constantly, and Do-Yoon had been using it for far too long already.
Still—
He kept going.
Because what other choice did he have?
It wasn't like he could casually walk across the ocean.
The further he traveled, the more isolated everything felt.
The helicopter was gone.
The other participants were gone.
Even the sound of civilization disappeared completely.
Only waves remained.
Endless waves.
The atmosphere slowly became uncomfortable.
Then dangerous.
Then terrifying.
Do-Yoon swallowed nervously.
"…What if sharks exist here?"
The moment he said that—
His imagination immediately betrayed him.
He started picturing giant sea monsters hiding beneath the dark water.
Huge eyes staring upward.
Massive mouths waiting below him.
Thousands of sharp teeth.
Do-Yoon instantly looked downward.
"…Nope."
He quickly forced himself to stop imagining things.
A few more minutes passed.
Then suddenly—
A blue system screen appeared in front of him.
[MP: 0]
Do-Yoon blinked slowly.
"…Eh?"
His brain needed a second to process the message.
Then realization hit him like a truck.
"…WAIT."
A second later—
Manipulator's Hand disappeared completely.
The force keeping him above the ocean vanished instantly.
"WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT—"
SPLASH!
Do-Yoon crashed violently into the freezing water.
Coldness surrounded his entire body immediately.
The ocean swallowed him whole.
Bubbles exploded around him while darkness covered his vision for a moment.
Do-Yoon panicked instantly.
His arms moved wildly underwater before he finally resurfaced.
"COUGH!"
"COUGH!"
"BLEGH!"
He wiped water from his face while breathing heavily.
His cape now stuck to his body awkwardly.
His hair looked completely ruined.
He floated there silently for a few seconds.
"…I hate water."
The realization hit him immediately afterward.
He had no mana left.
None.
Zero.
Manipulator's Hand was unusable.
Which meant—
Now he had to swim.
Do-Yoon slowly looked around.
The ocean stretched endlessly in every direction.
No islands.
No ships.
No land.
Nothing.
Just darkness slowly approaching as the sun lowered farther toward the horizon.
"…I'm actually finished."
For a moment he genuinely considered accepting death.
But then another wave slapped him directly in the face.
"PFFT!"
Do-Yoon spat water aggressively.
"…Nah. I refuse to die because of stupid water."
So he started swimming.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Pathetically.
Honestly, calling it "swimming" was also generous.
It looked more like a corpse trying to move.
His body already lacked stamina after everything that happened recently.
Fighting monsters.
Running constantly.
Using skills repeatedly.
Falling from a helicopter.
Almost drowning multiple times.
And now this nightmare.
Every movement felt heavier.
His muscles burned painfully.
The ocean current constantly pushed against him.
Cold wind cut across the surface of the water.
Minutes passed slowly.
Very slowly.
The sky gradually became darker.
Orange sunlight disappeared little by little until blue darkness covered half the world.
Do-Yoon continued moving forward weakly.
"…Why is this island so far…"
Another wave hit him.
Then another.
Then another.
At this point, the ocean genuinely felt personal.
"This sea has beef with me."
His breathing became rough.
His arms started feeling numb.
Even moving his legs became difficult.
Eventually—
Fear slowly entered his mind.
Not monster fear.
Not battle fear.
Real fear.
The kind that appears when someone realizes they might truly die.
The ocean during daytime already felt endless.
But at night?
It became horrifying.
Dark water surrounded him endlessly.
The sound of waves became eerie.
Every movement beneath the surface felt suspicious.
Every shadow looked alive.
Do-Yoon nervously looked around again.
"…If something grabs my leg, I'm uninstalling life."
Silence answered him.
Then another wave attacked him immediately afterward.
"THIS OCEAN IS A HATER!"
He continued swimming anyway.
Because stopping meant death.
Eventually his body became slower.
Then slower.
Then even slower.
His movements weakened heavily.
His eyes felt heavy.
Exhaustion completely consumed him.
Do-Yoon looked upward at the darkening sky.
"…God."
His voice sounded weak now.
"If I die…"
He paused dramatically.
"…Please give me a good paradise."
Another wave slapped him across the face.
"AND REMOVE WATER FROM IT!"
Do-Yoon coughed again.
Then sighed deeply.
"I'm sorry for sleeping too much."
"And lying sometimes."
"And stealing Min-Jae's snacks."
"And pretending to train when I was actually napping."
"And making dumb decisions."
He thought for another second.
"…Actually maybe I should apologize for a lot of things."
The ocean remained silent.
Very disrespectfully silent.
Do-Yoon continued swimming with the last bit of strength he had left.
Then suddenly—
He froze.
Far away in the darkness—
A tiny light appeared.
Do-Yoon blinked.
"…Huh?"
The light remained there.
Small.
Distant.
But real.
His tired eyes widened slowly.
"…LAND?!"
Instantly—
Hope returned.
Motivation exploded inside him again.
"YES!"
He started swimming faster immediately.
Well…
Not fast.
But definitely less dead-looking than before.
The only problem was—
The light looked unbelievably far away.
Like absurdly far.
Do-Yoon quickly realized the distance and nearly cried.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
Still—
He continued moving toward it.
Ten minutes passed.
His arms started dying again.
Twenty minutes passed.
His soul nearly disconnected from his body.
Thirty minutes passed.
He forgot what happiness felt like.
Forty minutes passed.
He started questioning humanity itself.
One hour later—
He finally reached shallow water.
The moment his feet touched sand—
Do-Yoon nearly cried from happiness.
He stumbled forward weakly before collapsing dramatically onto the shore.
"…Land…"
Beautiful.
Wonderful.
Magnificent land.
Solid ground never felt so precious before.
Do-Yoon kissed the sand emotionally.
"I love land."
"This is my favorite thing ever."
For a few peaceful seconds—
He simply laid there while breathing heavily.
Then suddenly—
He noticed people staring at him.
Do-Yoon slowly lifted his head.
Six figures stood nearby holding torches.
Everyone looked equally confused.
The atmosphere instantly became awkward.
Ocean waves moved quietly behind them.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
They just stared at each other.
One guy awkwardly coughed.
Another scratched his head nervously.
Meanwhile Do-Yoon remained lying on the sand looking completely destroyed.
Finally—
One teenager stepped forward.
He had short black hair and calm eyes. Compared to the others, he looked more reliable and composed.
"Uh…"
He pointed at himself awkwardly.
"My name is Kan-Tae."
Do-Yoon stared at him with tired dead eyes.
"…Okay."
Kan-Tae paused.
Apparently that wasn't the reaction he expected.
Still, he continued politely.
"That's Vark."
A tall muscular guy waved proudly with a huge grin.
"That's Zeldort."
A skinny boy wearing glasses nodded calmly.
"Tarnop."
A massive man carrying an axe raised one hand silently.
"Tenzai."
A quiet girl avoided eye contact shyly.
"And Clark."
A blonde teenager smiled confidently like he was the main character of another story.
Do-Yoon looked at all of them silently.
"…Cool."
Kan-Tae blinked.
"You don't seem surprised."
"I'm too tired to react properly."
"…Fair enough."
Kan-Tae then asked,
"What's your name?"
Do-Yoon slowly stood up.
Water dripped from his ruined clothes.
His cape looked absolutely tragic now.
"…Kim Do-Yoon."
Kan-Tae smiled warmly.
"Well, Do-Yoon…"
"You can stay with us."
For a moment—
Do-Yoon genuinely almost cried again.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Do-Yoon looked at him like he had descended from heaven personally.
"You are a beautiful human being."
Kan-Tae looked slightly uncomfortable from the sudden praise.
The group guided Do-Yoon toward their campsite nearby.
A small fire burned at the center while bags and supplies surrounded the area.
Apparently they had already survived on this island for a while.
The moment Do-Yoon sat near the fire—
Warmth covered his body instantly.
He nearly ascended spiritually.
"…This is heaven."
Clark handed him food afterward.
"Here."
Do-Yoon looked at the meal silently.
Real food.
Actual food.
Not sea water.
Not suffering.
Food.
"You people are angels."
The group laughed slightly.
Soon everyone started eating together around the fire.
The atmosphere became calmer little by little.
For the first time since arriving on the island—
Do-Yoon relaxed slightly.
Kan-Tae eventually started explaining things.
Apparently all of them were participants in the entrance exam too.
After jumping from the helicopter, they got separated from everyone else and eventually met each other on this island.
To survive, they formed a temporary team.
Do-Yoon listened quietly while eating like a starving animal.
Then Kan-Tae spoke again.
"Tomorrow morning we plan to hunt a monster nearby."
Do-Yoon swallowed his food.
"What rank?"
"Zentornt."
Do-Yoon froze slightly.
That was dangerous.
Far above Kaizu rank.
Even stronger than Urban-rank monsters.
A creature like that could wipe out inexperienced participants easily.
But strangely—
Nobody around the fire looked scared.
Kan-Tae smiled confidently.
"We can defeat it together."
Do-Yoon looked around silently.
Everyone seemed prepared.
Confident.
Determined.
Meanwhile—
He still felt like a half-drowned homeless man.
Still, he nodded slowly.
"…Okay."
Night completely covered the island afterward.
The fire crackled softly.
Cold wind moved through the trees surrounding the campsite.
One by one—
Everyone slowly fell asleep.
Except Do-Yoon.
He stared silently at the dark sky.
"…I can't sleep."
Maybe stress kept him awake.
Maybe fear.
Maybe exhaustion somehow went beyond normal limits.
Or maybe his brain simply forgot how functioning humans worked.
Do-Yoon rolled around on the sand for several minutes.
Then sighed.
Then rolled again.
Then sighed louder.
Eventually—
SLAP!
He slapped his own face.
"Sleep already."
A few seconds later—
He actually fell asleep instantly.
The next morning—
Sunlight slowly spread across the island.
Birds chirped nearby.
Cold air moved through the forest peacefully.
Kan-Tae woke up first.
Then Vark.
Then Clark.
Soon everyone else awakened one by one.
Everyone except—
Do-Yoon.
He remained asleep peacefully.
Very peacefully.
Suspiciously peacefully.
Kan-Tae walked closer.
"…Do-Yoon?"
No response.
Clark tried next.
"Wake up."
Nothing.
Tarnop shook him slightly.
Still nothing.
Vark slowly looked horrified.
"…Is he dead?"
Suddenly—
Do-Yoon snored loudly.
"…Never mind."
Ten more minutes passed.
Still asleep.
Twenty more minutes.
Still asleep.
At this point the entire group surrounded him like scientists studying a mysterious creature.
Kan-Tae sighed deeply.
"We need another method."
Clark nodded seriously.
"Violence."
"NO."
Tenzai poked Do-Yoon's cheek gently.
No reaction.
Vark screamed beside his ear.
"WAKE UP!"
Do-Yoon rolled to the other side peacefully.
Still asleep.
The group looked traumatized.
"How is this possible?"
Finally—
Kan-Tae grabbed a bucket of water nearby.
"…Forgive me."
SPLASH!
Cold water exploded across Do-Yoon instantly.
Do-Yoon jumped upward in complete panic.
"THE OCEAN AGAIN?!"
The team sighed in relief.
"He's alive."
Do-Yoon blinked sleepily.
"…What happened?"
Kan-Tae crossed his arms.
"We tried waking you up for thirty minutes."
"…Oh."
Then suddenly—
Do-Yoon froze.
Something felt strange.
Very strange.
He slowly looked around again.
Then realization hit him.
He slept.
But—
He never returned to the real world.
The previous times he slept inside this mysterious place—
He always woke up back home.
But now?
Nothing happened.
He remained on the island.
Do-Yoon became confused immediately.
"…Why?"
Questions filled his head rapidly.
Did the exam change something?
Was the island special somehow?
Was this entire place becoming more real?
The more he thought about it—
The less sense everything made.
Eventually—
He simply shrugged.
"…Whatever."
The team stared at him.
"You accepted that really quickly."
"I'm too tired to care anymore."
Soon everyone prepared themselves seriously.
Weapons were checked.
Armor tightened.
Bags secured.
The atmosphere completely changed now.
Kan-Tae stepped forward confidently.
"Alright everyone."
"Today we defeat Bloodluv."
The others nodded seriously.
Do-Yoon awkwardly copied them half a second later.
Then the group entered the forest.
The deeper they walked—
The heavier the atmosphere became.
Massive trees covered the island densely.
Strange sounds echoed occasionally between the shadows.
The forest felt alive somehow.
Watching them.
Waiting.
Do-Yoon quietly stayed alert now.
After a long walk—
Kan-Tae suddenly stopped moving.
"…We're close."
Everyone instantly became serious.
Weapons tightened.
Breathing slowed.
Do-Yoon swallowed nervously.
Then—
Heavy footsteps echoed ahead.
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
The ground trembled slightly.
Trees shook violently.
Something enormous moved between the shadows.
Kan-Tae whispered,
"Prepare yourselves."
Then finally—
The monster appeared.
Bloodluv.
Its gigantic body emerged slowly between the trees.
Dark red skin covered massive muscles.
Sharp claws gleamed under the sunlight.
Its glowing eyes radiated pure violence.
The creature's aura alone felt overwhelming.
Oppressive.
Monstrous.
Do-Yoon's eyes widened slightly.
"…That thing definitely skips anger management."
Then suddenly—
He noticed something strange.
Too strange.
Silence.
No breathing behind him.
No movement.
Do-Yoon slowly looked backward.
His teammates were gone.
Kan-Tae.
Vark.
Clark.
Tenzai.
Everyone disappeared completely.
Only the forest remained.
Only Bloodluv remained.
Do-Yoon blinked slowly.
"…Huh?"
He looked around again desperately.
Nothing.
No voices.
No footsteps.
No allies.
Only him.
And the giant monster staring directly at him.
Then—
Bloodluv slowly smiled.
Do-Yoon's face became pale instantly.
"…Oh no."