I tightened my grip and locked my gaze on the glowing portal. A figure stepped through, each footfall landing with a sharp clack.

A man came into view, dressed in a black tuxedo. White hair framed his face, slicked neatly back—he had unnaturally pale skin and eyes that glowed with a cold blue light.

My reflexes kicked in. I raised the dagger close to my chest, shifted into position, and stared him down, scrutinizing every move he made.

He lifted both hands with a smile "Oho~ Do you mind lowering your weapon, dear player?"

I tightened my grip on the dagger. "Who are you?"

"How tragic," he said with a sigh. "Despite my politeness, you're still pointing your weapon at a gentleman."

I loosened my grip on the dagger and flung it to the floor. In the military, we were trained for situations like this, I chose to observe him first—to analyze before acting.

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh~ you trust me now?”

I shot him a glare and straightened my clothes. “I don’t. I’ll play along—for now.”

Clap. Clap.

He snickered, “How amusing you are, human.”

“Now tell me—who are you?”

He grinned and offered a courteous bow, one hand to his chest. “Greetings, dear player. I am Leonard, a guide of the floors.”

My fists clenched, “What floors?”

His grin widened, voice turning almost sing-song. “Oho~ you seem very curious. Let me explain.”

He clapped, a pale light burst into the air, illuminating the space. A floating screen flickered to life, colors swirling and merging until they formed a web around a single red dot—like an ant nest seen from above.

He gestured toward a glowing green spot. “See this? That’s your planet.”

Then pointed to the red. “And this… this is the 100th floor. The place where all paths converge.”

“Each floor,” he continued, “exists in a different dimension or on a different world. Players must clear them, one by one, to ascend. Understood, dear player?”

I stayed silent, eyes fixed on the screen. Soon after, I gazed at the man. "You expect me to believe that?"

He held his chin up, eyes slowly glancing toward me as he tapped his chin and right foot. "Hmm, I thought it was clear. You still don't trust me, even after seeing a portal and what just happened to you at your domain?"

I calmly stepped forward and stopped, keeping a short distance. "You did that?"

He stood still. "No, I didn't, the system did it. And a girl asked the same question earlier—before we met right here."

He sneered, pointing to the floor.

My jaw clenched. "What did you do to her?"

"Oh, I did nothing. She willingly went inside the portal."

My eyes widened. "Stop lying, you piece of—"

He waved his hand dismissively, still smiling,"Oho~ no, no, I’m not lying, she did volunteer herself. She might be dead by now, I guess. Hmm."

I stepped closer and gripped his tuxedo. "Think twice before speaking."

Knocking my hand away, he grinned. "I’m telling you the truth, dear player. Han Jiwoo."

My breath hitched. "How do you know my name?"

"Oho~ that’s a secret."

His eyes turned colder. "You want to save her, perhaps? Judging by your reaction, I assume she’s close to you."

I calmed myself, taking a deep breath. "Yes. If what you say is true, I’ll save her." My fist clenched tighter.

Clap, clap.

"How loving—a brother, I assume? So, are you willing to go in?"

I lifted my hand and pointed at the portal. "What’s inside this thing?"

"Ohho~" His fingers twitched slightly. "Nothing special. Just some mindless monsters." He grinned, baring all his teeth in a wide, unnerving smile. "Maybe different rules, maybe different ecosystem, maybe different everything—hmm. You’ll know once you go in."

I stayed calm, eyes scanning the surroundings. Being the kind of person who doesn't rush in blindly, I asked what needed asking. "Any time limit?"

He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Oho~ I didn’t think you’d be so eager to know. Yes, there is. Thirty days. Fail to clear it before then… you might just die in there."

I pointed at the portal again. "Are there others like me who’ve gone through it?"

"Hmm~ yes, sure. Including you, about a dozen from every continent."

"How do we clear it?"

He smiled faintly. "Ah, about that... I assume you’ve heard that annoying voice in your head? That thing will help you."

I narrowed my eyes, "How?"

"It grants you skills and weapons after each clear—or at the very start. Once you step through, you’ll find yourself on the first floor: Etopea." He dusted off his shoulder casually. "I usually don’t waste my time explaining this much, but you? You’re interesting. Put on a good show in there—I’m betting on you, so don’t let my money go to waste."

I hunched down to retrieve my dagger, then slowly made my way toward the portal. Each step landed with a soft thud, heavier than the last. I stopped in front of it, turned my head slightly, and muttered, "We'll meet again."

I stepped forward—my foot crossed the threshold first and the portal slowly swallowed me whole.

Leonard stood in silence for a moment, watching the blue light flicker. A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“I’ll be watching you, Han Jiwoo,” he murmured.