Taesan stared pensively at the enemy in front of him.


    “Ka-aaa!”


    Its radiant red scales were shimmering.


    The reptile’s eyes seemed to contain all of the cruelty in the world.


    White mes were sometimes visible as it exhaled its breath.


    The red dragon growled.


    The king of dragons, Moebius’ lizard, which heralded the end of everything, the one who guarded the abyss.


    It was a divine being that even gods could not easily deal with.


    All Taesan had against such a monster was his shabby equipment.


    The most basic suit of cloth armor and a rusty sword.


    That was all.


    “With this equipment, I’m supposed to fight a dragon alone. This difficulty level definitely lives up to its name.”


    He wasn’t entirely alone.


    He felt a gaze from above.


    The light contained in that gaze was simple.


    It was filled with endless expectations of him.


    As well as admiration for miracles that would be shown in the future.


    They wouldn’t interfere with the feast in front of them. They would always watch from a distance, as usual.


    He was used to it now. He held the sword without hesitation.


    “Krrr…”


    The dragon moved its front w and tried to cautiously back away as it looked at Taesan.


    The cruelty reflected in those eyes began showing hints of fear.


    “Why are you scared?”


    “Ka-aaa!”


    As if havinge to a decision, the dragon roared and moved its feet. Its bulky body approached as the ground thumped under its weight.


    Taesan looked behind him. The door through which he had entered was long gone.


    There was no escape.


    The battlefield, this time, was about the size of a sports field.


    “Just like always.”


    Kill or die.


    As he took a step forward, the dragon roared threateningly.


    “Ka-aaa!”


    [The dragon''s roar overwhelms you!]                   [Starting judgment.]                 [Stat reduction judgment in progress...]                   [Action restriction judgment in progress...]                 [Mental copse judgment in progress...]                   [Surrender judgment in progress...]                 [Instant death judgment in progress...]                   [...]                 [All judgments seeded!]                   [You endured with the Indomitable Spirit!]]                 [All stats have increased.]                   [Your actions will never stop. Acquired the special always-active skill, "Continuous Action".]                     [A spirit that does not sumb descends.]                 [A body that does not surrender manifests.]                   [Your opponent is an invincible enemy.]                 [Judgment unnecessary. Your heart did not break against an enemy who cannot be defeated!]]                   [Judgment unnecessary. Your fighting spirit rose against an enemy who cannot be defeated!]                   [Judgment unnecessary. Your willpower increased against an enemy who cannot be defeated!]                   [All stats have increased.]                     [You will never break during battle.]                 [You have gained an eye that discerns the opponent''s weaknesses.]                   [The dragon was intimidated by you, who did not surrender.]                 [The dragon felt fear towards you, who did not falter.]                   [The dragon is filled with fear of defeat towards you, who is filled with confidence.]


    “Clear it.”


    Taesan cleared the system window and brandished his sword.


    “Come at me quickly. This will be over soon.”


    “Ka-aa!”


    The dragon charged toward Taesan.


    “Ah, annoying.”


    Taesan grumbled as he walked through the devastated city.


    “Why did that damn thing run all the way here and annoy people?”


    Traces of alien shapes were visible in the copsed streets. However, Taesan simply walked down the road with indifference.


    “Is this Anyang?”


    He could no longer find any traces of that city in these ruins.


    What was left visible were only buildings and their foundations.


    As well as the shattered asphalt.


    In this scenery devoid of human scent, Taesan scrunched up his face.


    “So bothersome…”


    He strode forward. It didn’t take long to find what he hade for.


    Grrr.


    Grrrrr.


    A monster appeared. It waspletely ck, resembling neither human nor animal.


    Three such monsters were tearing apart a body.


    That body was Taesan’s target.


    However, it wasn’t dead but was still alive.


    “Quite a spectacle.”


    Grrrrr.


    The monsters noticed Taesan. They finished consuming the rest of the body and moved slightly.


    [Monster435 is ring at you.]                   [Monster221 is ring at you.]                 [Monster222 is ring at you.]


    “Really, can’t they have better names?”


    Taesan grumbled. Every time he saw their names while fighting, he felt drained.


    Grrrrrr!


    The monsters rushed at him. While their speed was beyond human capabilities, Taesan simply looked at them with annoyance.


    “Hey. Open the door.”


    Taesan knocked heavily on the door in front of a giant wall. The vibration of his knock spread through the door, and it opened before long.


    “Bro. You’re here?”


    “Couldn’t you have asked someone else? This is so bothersome.”


    “Haha. Knowing what’s out there, there was no one else but you, bro.”


    Junggeun weed him upon his return. He looked beside Taesan and asked with a confused face.


    “The escapee?”


    “He’s dead. The monsters ate all of his body.”


    “What?”


    Junggeun was taken aback.


    “He was a Hard Mode yer, and he’s already dead?”


    “Three A-grade monsters were cheerfully tearing him apart.”


    “Ah……”


    Junggeun closed his mouth. While Hard Mode yers were strong, an A-grade monster was equal in strength to one.


    There would have been no way to deal with three of them.


    “Where are those monsters?”


    If there were three A-grade monsters nearby, they needed to be dealt with quickly.


    Taesan calmly responded to Junggeun’s serious question.


    “I killed them all.”


    Junggeun then felt drained and muttered.


    “I see.”


    “Enough, I’m hungry. Let’s go to a restaurant.”


    “Yes.”


    There were several buildings within the walls. They all seemed old and on the verge of copsing, but single-family homes that maintained their shapes could still be seen.


    While walking, Junggeun asked Taesan.


    “Bro. Be honest. You’re not an Easy Mode yer, are you?”


    “What nonsense is this now?”


    Taesan frowned.


    “How many havee through thebyrinth with me? Ask them.”


    “All the Easy yers other than you are dead, you know? Even those who pop up asionally die within a couple of days.”


    “……Was it like that?”


    “Honestly, how can an easy yer survive in the current situation? Even Normal yers are barely managing. You’re the strange one, bro.”


    An Easy yer whoughed at Hard Mode. That was Taesan.


    “Why are you so strong? I’m a Hard yer, but I’m nothingpared to you.”


    “You guys just cleared too hastily.”


    “You’re saying that again.”


    “So, what do you want me to do?”


    The other yers rushed to clear thebyrinth while Taesan had grasped every aspect. That was the single point of difference in Taesan’s view.


    “Since we can’t go back to thebyrinth anyway, let’s stop the pointless talk and eat.”


    “Yes, yes.”


    They entered an old tent, and Taesan sat at the dining table.


    “What’s for dinner today?”


    “Potatoes.”


    Taesan’s face distorted.


    “Potatoes again? Can’t you cultivate something else? There’s sweet potato or corn.”


    “But potatoes are the most efficient, so what can we do? There’s a limit to the quantity in simple cultivation.”


    It was a skill that allowed a yer to cultivate something from nothing, anywhere. Thanks to this skill that a few people possessed, humanity has survived until now.


    “Didn’t you learn it, bro?”


    “Why would an Easy Mode yer learn such a thing? There’s food everywhere, no matter where you go.”


    “That’s also true.”


    Junggeun nodded his head.


    Junggeun brought out the potatoes after a few moments. The two ate in silence without any conversation.


    From a distance, there was amotion. They were voices mixed with cheers and sighs, as well as shouts that denied reality.


    “Looks like another one who cleared hase.”


    “It seems so.”


    A yer who cleared thebyrinth and returned to Earth caused a disturbance because he couldn’t ept reality. It was amon urrence.


    Neither Taesan nor Junggeun moved. It was a habit now for those yers to be subdued by those around him. Eventually, they would listen to the exnations without causing a fuss.


    But this time, unlike usual, the noise did not easily subside.


    “Uh……Brother. He seems to be a Hard yer.”


    “Damn.”


    Taesan’s face distorted.


    Validating Junggeun’s words, a man ran inside in a hurry.


    “Taesan. Come quickly. It’s a total mess right now.”


    “Why me? There are a lot of Hard yers. Can’t they handle it?”


    “Oh,e on. You know as well as I do why. Juste quickly.”


    Taesan stood up with a grimace. Junggeun leisurely took Taesan’s potato.


    “Please go ande back.”


    “If you eat that, I’ll kill you.”


    Junggeun quietly put the potato back.


    Taesan followed the man with a sigh.


    “What kind of guy is this one?”


    “He’s a Hard Mode clearer, iming that we’re all lying and is causing amotion.”


    “Are there not enough Hard yers here to subdue him? Is he quite strong?”


    “Fucking hell.”


    The man clicked his tongue.


    “He’s got some decent skills, so someone might die if we try to subdue him. That’s why we need your help, Taesan.”


    “What about Taeyeon?”


    “Taeyeon is currently out on external reconnaissance. You knew that, right?”


    “Huff.”


    Sighing, Taesan headed toward the center of themotion. There, a young man was shouting with a red face.


    “Don’t joke with me! How is this Earth! This is a hidden camera! Stop fooling around!”


    “Young friend, this really is Earth. The world has changed a lot while you were in thebyrinth…”


    “Don’t joke with me!”


    The man swung his fist roughly. The middle-aged man who had been trying to calm him down stepped back with a groan.


    “He’s about to get rough.”


    “Taesan, I’m counting on you!”


    The man who brought Taesan cheered him on.


    “Aren’t you ashamed to depend on an Easy yer like me?”


    “This is a time where we can’t survive with shame.”


    “Ugh.”


    Taesan clicked his tongue and walked towards the man. In the square, only the man and Taesan remained.


    “Young man, what’s your name?”


    “…Lee Changchun.”


    “I see. Changchun. Sadly, this really is Earth. We’re in the process of being annihted.”


    “Don’t joke with me!”


    “Is that your catchphrase or something?”


    “There’s no way this is Earth! There are so many yers, yet they can’t stop these monsters?! You’re all lying to me!”


    Changchun roared in rage.


    It’smon for those who returned from thebyrinth to lose their minds after being unable to ept reality. And he showed no signs of epting it easily.


    In such cases, there was only one solution.


    Taesan clenched his fist.


    “If he gets hit, he’ll understand.”


    [Duel Request.]


    Changchun was taken aback by the prompt on the screen.


    “…Duel? Who are you?”


    “Kang Taesan.”


    “Kang Taesan?”


    Changchun chewed on his name and smirked.


    “The Easy yer who always had a big mouth?”


    “You know me? Must be a frequent Community user.”


    “What a joke! An Easy yer like you wants to challenge a Hard yer?”


    Changchun scoffed at Taesan.


    The gap in strength between yers from the different difficulties was immense.


    Even if a hundred Easy yers gathered, it would be difficult to even deal damage to a Hard yer.


    But Taesan simply waved his hand with an annoyed look on his face.


    “Shut up ande at me. If you can beat me, I’ll show you the ‘real world’ you want so badly.”


    “… Don’t regret it!”


    “The one who’s going to regret it is you.”


    [Duel Established.]                   [Lee Changchun and Kang Taesan may begin the duel.]


    The onlookers made space around them.


    Changchun, who had been confidently standing, began to waver slightly.


    The people around them were beginning to make bets as if the oue wasn’t even worth watching.


    “Who are you betting on?”


    “One potato on Kang Taesan.”


    “Five potatoes on Kang Taesan.”


    “Three potatoes on Kang Taesan.”


    “Isn’t anyone betting on the young man? He might just win, you know?”


    There was no reply to that. No one here thought Changchun would be able to win.


    They actually believed that an Easy yer could defeat a Hard yer.


    Taesan crossed his arms nonchntly.


    “I’ll let you attack first.”


    “You…”


    Changchun gritted his teeth. The duel had begun, regardless, so there was no backing out now.


    [Lee Changchun activated Increase. His basic attack power has increased by 50%.]                   [Lee Changchun activated Concentration. The next attack has a high probability of hitting.]                 [Lee Changchun activated Strong Strike. The next attack will deal significant damage.]


    “Wow.”


    “Adding ‘Increase’ and ‘Strong Strike’? That’s a powerfulbo.”


    People around him marveled at the sight, but that was it. They calmly waited for the oue as Changchun gritted his teeth.


    “I don’t care anymore.”


    He charged towards Taesan.


    [Lee Changchun''s Attack.]                   [Kang Taesan''s ''First Attack Immunity'' is activated.]                 [0 Damage to Kang Taesan.]


    “Huh?”


    “Are you done?”


    Changchun checked his system window in disbelief. ‘First Attack Immunity’ skill? What was that? He had never seen anything like it while ying in hard mode.


    “Now it’s my turn, right?”


    Taesan raised his fist. Changchun quickly snapped out of shock and raised his arms to protect himself.


    [Kang Taesan''s Attack.]                   [Lee Changchun activated ''Solid''. The damage received is reduced by half.]                 [Kang Taesan activated ''Absolute Judgment''. The opponent''s defense skills and defense are ignored.]                 [49 Damage to Lee Changchun.]


    “Huh?”


    Changchun was baffled again.


    It was too weak. His health points were well over a thousand. This kind of attack was nothing more than a tickle.


    ‘R-right.’


    Changchun steadied his nerves. His opponent was an Easy yer. The absolute gap in stats and level couldn’t be easily bridged.


    But Taesan raised his fist again.


    “Your health exceeds one thousand, right?”


    [Kang Taesan activated ''Addition''. Current attack power is doubled.]                   [Kang Taesan activated ''Multiply''. Current attack power is squared.]                 [Kang Taesan activated ''Absolute Judgment''. The opponent''s defense skills and defense are ignored.]


    Changchun’s body stiffened.


    “Take this.”


    “Wai-wait.”


    [Kang Taesan''s attack.]                   [9,604 damage to Lee Changchun.]


    Wha-


    “Mr. Taesan, isn’t that too harsh?”


    “He didn’t die, did he? How much kinder do you want me to be here?”


    Taesan grumbled. Changchun was sprawled out on the ground, twitching.


    “Uh…”


    “Young man, do you understand now? This is the real Earth. We are the failures who managed to clear that miserablebyrinth but couldn’t protect Earth.”


    “Don’t… don’t joke…”


    Tears dripped from Changchun’s eyes.


    “Why… why is the world like this… It would’ve been better if we didn’t clear thebyrinth…”


    Silence followed his words. The man who had beenforting Changchun smiled bitterly.


    “But we’ve alle out. What can we do? We should try to save this insane world anyway.”


    Back when this world was still their world.


    The sky had split open, and monsters poured out of it.


    Choices then appeared before humanity.


    Easy Mode.


    Normal Mode.


    Hard Mode.


    And Solo Mode.


    The yers chose different levels of difficulty and entered thebyrinth. Those who cleared it then returned to Earth.


    To an Earth overrun with monsters and on the brink of destruction.


    They were those people.


    And Taesan was a yer who chose Easy Mode.