The Monster Break

Ryo stopped for a moment to catch his breath as he continued chasing the fleeing great harpy.

"Huff... huff..."

lungs burned, each breath a ragged gasp as he leaned on a nearby electric post for support.

"Wait... this is Hiroo," he realized.

Suddenly, the ground shook beneath him, a loud explosion erupted nearby.

A deafening roar echoed through the air, followed by the tremors of the ground.

Ryo's eyes widened in shock, a sense of guilt creeping over him.

"Damn that drumstick!" he muttered in annoyance, referring to the great harpy. "It's probably causing more destruction."

Without hesitation, He sprinted towards the sound, his heart pounding in his chest.

As soon as Ryo arrived at the site of the explosion, an apartment building was already collapsing. The street was covered in debris, and dust from the blast still lingered in the air.

Through the thick haze, part of the great harpy became visible—only its foot remained. The rest of its leg was already dematerializing, slowly turning into dust-like particles fading into the air.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

[DUNGEON CLEARED]

GREAT HARPY HAS BEEN SLAIN

[+10,000 EXP.]

[+2,000 Gold]

The TOKYO MIDTOWN RAID is now secure. Remaining enemies disintegrating.

[LEVEL UP]

[LVL 35 ➡️ LVL 36]

[LEVEL UP]

[LVL 36 ➡️ LVL 37]

[LEVEL UP]

[LVL 37 ➡️ LVL 38]

---

Ryo's breath hitched. He stared at the ruined building, his mind struggling to process what he'd seen.

"Who had done this?"

The destruction was far greater than anything he could have caused.

A group of players finally caught up to him.

"Hey, Ryo, are you okay?" one asked.

"Did you defeat the great harpy?"

"The notification said it was defeated. Was it you?"

"Great job, Ryo!"

Ryo remained silent, standing still as the questions kept coming.

Then Oto from GriffinRed Guild placed a firm hand on Ryo's shoulder.

"Did you see who defeated the great harpy?" Oto asked, noticing Ryo's stunned expression.

Ryo shook his head. "I didn't."

Oto sighed, a mixture of awe and curiosity in his voice. "Whoever did that... they must be a beast themselves."

Ryo nodded slowly. "It reminds me of Player One."

"You think Player One is still out there?" Oto asked thoughtfully.

"We don't actually know," Ryo admitted. "But whoever defeated this monster... they're on par with Player One, no doubt about it."

Then Hina, the maiden, spoke up.

"Good thing that monster just flew into this area. Hiroo has been a ghost town for quite some time."

Oto then said, "Yeah, you're right. I'm glad no one got hurt."

From above, the ghost town of Hiroo looked as though a colossal blade had cleaved straight through it. Buildings lay split or toppled, their shattered remains scattered like fragments from a single devastating slash. Deep, jagged scars crisscrossed the streets, as if the ground itself had been torn apart by a strike too powerful for this world. The sheer force of the destruction was overwhelming—an overkill blow that left no doubt about the might of whoever had defeated the monster. Dust and debris lingered in the air, swirling like ghosts of the ruined town, marking the aftermath of a power beyond comprehension.

Two days later, Ryo stood in front of the Tokyo Guild Association (TGA), dressed in his casual student uniform. He was there to report on the Tokyo Midtown Dungeon Raid and potentially earn rewards and points for his contribution.

As he entered the grand hallway, he spotted some of the players from the raid.

Hina, the maiden from GriffinRed, waved at him with a bright smile.

"Ryo, you're here? Are you also here to report?"

Ryo shyly waved back.

"Yeah."

Oto greeted him warmly.

"Glad to see you, Ryo. By the way, have you given any thought to my invitation?"

Ryo responded politely, "It's nice to see you again, Mr. Oto, but I think I'll decline. I prefer to be an independent player for now."

Just then, a man in a sharp business suit appeared. His polished demeanor was a far cry from the heavily armored warrior Ryo remembered from the raid.

"Are you sure about that? We really had great teamwork back then," the man said.

Ryo looked a bit confused.

"Sorry, who are you?"

The man chuckled.

"Ah, my apologies. I didn't properly introduce myself back then. I'm Greg—the warrior with the massive shield."

Ryo's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, it's you! I didn't recognize you in that suit."

Greg smiled.

"Well, I was pretty covered up in armor back then."

Ryo nodded with a grin.

"Thanks for covering me during the raid."

"No problem at all," Greg said cheerfully, noting how different Ryo seemed outside of battle—humble and approachable compared to his confident, commanding presence as a Player.

Other players from the raid gathered around, greeting Ryo and chatting casually.

Then, an official from the Guild Association approached them, signaling that it was time to proceed.

The official requested each player to use their Player License to verify their identity.

One by one, they swiped their licenses on a machine, which projected a holographic monitor displaying their information.

Due to the global phenomenon that turned every human into a Player, the government established a system to maintain order. This led to the creation of the Player Association, more commonly known as the Guild Association. Its purpose was to ensure that all Players had a government-issued license, which served as both identification and authorization.

This license allowed Players to legally engage in dungeon raids, monster hunting, and other related activities. In simple terms, it granted them the legal right to use their system abilities openly in public.

The other players cheered as they celebrated the reward points they received after the computer verified their recent dungeon raid.

"Wohoo! I'm close to reaching Rank D!" one player exclaimed.

"I need more points," another added eagerly.

"Hell yeah! I ranked up to Rank D!"

The paladin from GriffinRed also celebrated, grinning widely. "I finally reached Rank C!"

Oto adjusted his glasses with a smirk. "I hit Rank C too."

Hina and Greg, standing nearby, looked determined.

"We need to grind for more points, I guess," Greg said to Hina.

Hina nodded with high spirits. "Yeah, let's keep pushing."

Oto then walked over to Ryo. "How about you, Ryo?"

Ryo stared intently at the computer display:

---

Player: Takeda Ryo

Class: Warrior

Weapon: Gauntlet

Rank: A [9,600/10,000]

You gained +500 points from your recent quest.

Updating Information...

Player: Takeda Ryo

Class: Warrior

Weapon: Gauntlet

Rank: A [10,100/10,000]

You have reached the maximum points for your current rank. You can now rank up.

Although he was now eligible to rank up, Ryo's expression remained concerned and distant, as if something weighed heavily on his mind.

Oto glanced at the holographic monitor displaying Ryo's report and noticed the update.

"Wow! You finally reached the maximum points for your rank. You can rank up now," Oto said, surprised.

"Yeah," Ryo replied hesitantly, "but I don't think I deserve this many points."

"What do you mean? You actually led the whole party during that raid," Oto reasoned.

Ryo frowned. "But in the end, I wasn't the one who defeated the monster."

Oto shook his head. "I get that, but we were the official players registered for the raid. According to guild rules, unregistered or unauthorized players can't take credit for it. So no matter what happened, our team gets the recognition."

"I know that, but..." Ryo trailed off.

"Come on, you don't need to overthink this," Oto encouraged.

"Yeah... but I think I'll just stay at this rank for now," Ryo admitted quietly. "I don't think I deserve to be an S-Rank yet."

Oto raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

Clenching his fist, Ryo thought to himself, I'm not strong enough to be at that level. I need to be as strong as Player One... strong enough to save the world and end this chaos.

Two days had passed, but the air in Hiroo still carried a faint tang of ozone—a stark reminder of the devastation. Ryo walked through the deserted streets, the eerie silence of the ghost town made Ryo uneasy, as though he was being watched. He roamed with vigilance, not here for sightseeing but for answers.

Over the past two days, he had pored over old reports and footage of Player One. He had a hunch—a gut feeling—that the power he had witnessed was similar to, or perhaps connected to, Player One. The destruction bore a resemblance to the aftermath shown in the old footage, but he still needed solid proof.

He stopped in front of the ruins and imagined the exact position where Player One might have stood when defeating the Great Harpy. The slash that devastated the area seemed to match that spot perfectly.

"Player One was probably carrying a sword," Ryo murmured, "or maybe even a legendary sword—and swung it here. The Harpy was the target... the rest of this destruction? Just a casualty of that overwhelming power."

He mimed the motion of a powerful sword swing, trying to imagine how Player One might have delivered the blow."

"Huh," he muttered.

Swing.

He paused mid-motion, his arm extended to the right. In the distance, something caught his eye—a convenience store.

"A store? In a ghost town?" Ryo's brow furrowed. "I thought this area was uninhabitable because of constant monster appearances."

Shock and intrigue washed over him.

Then it hit him—they might have information about the incident.

Without hesitation, he headed toward the convenience store to gather information.

The convenience store was small and simple, with a somewhat neglected appearance. The flickering store sign was poorly maintained, with a letter hanging loosely, making it unreadable.

Inside, a young woman, who looked more like a part-timer than the owner, sat by the counter. She seemed tired and bored, flipping through a magazine while casually polishing her nails. She didn't seem particularly concerned when a customer walked in.

Noticing Ryo standing at the entrance suspiciously, she greeted him with a nonchalant, uninterested tone.

"Good afternoon. Need something?"

Ryo approached her, trying not to appear suspicious.

"Uh, hi. Good afternoon. Do you have any drinks?"

She glanced at him indifferently. "Yeah, back aisle."

Ryo found the drink section, grabbed a bottle of vegetable juice, and returned to the counter. As the cashier rang up the purchase, Ryo glanced around the store. It was sparsely stocked, and the shelves looked like they hadn't been dusted in weeks.

"It's surprising to see this place open," Ryo said casually. "I mean, with all the monster activity around here."

She shrugged. "Gotta make a living somehow."

"Yeah, I guess," Ryo replied. "You're not worried about the monsters?"

She chuckled dryly. "Worried? What's the point? Ever since the system phenomenon occurred, this world is no longer safe. Monsters are just part of life now—you get used to it."

"I see," Ryo said. "Still, I heard there was a big monster attack the other day, caused a lot of damage."

Her expression shifted slightly. "Yeah, that was something else, but as usual, it got taken care of."

"You see anything?" Ryo asked, keeping his tone casual.

She hesitated, then shook her head. "Nah, I was inside."

Ryo nodded slowly, sensing her reluctance. "Right. Well, thanks for the drink."

He paid and was about to leave when the cashier spoke up again.

"Actually, stuff like that happens all the time. Sudden monster attacks, but they always get wiped out without anyone knowing who did it. Because of that, we actually feel pretty safe here."

Ryo paused and looked back. "Do you think it's Player One?" he asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.

She shrugged. "I've got no idea. We never see who it is. But we're really grateful to whoever it is."

"I see. Thanks for the info," Ryo said, nodding before heading out.

Meanwhile, at someone's apartment...

The glow of the computer screen illuminated Yuu's face, casting harsh shadows on the walls of his small, cluttered room. Empty ramen containers littered the desk, alongside crumpled chip bags and energy drink cans. The rhythmic tapping of the keyboard blended with the loud sound effects of the game he'd been playing nonstop. He was completely lost in the world of his favorite MMORPG, Black Diablo.

"Yeah!" he shouted in excitement. "I finally got the Flame Crimson Wing!"

It was a legendary item dropped from defeating a powerful dungeon boss.

With a triumphant click of the mouse, Yuu equipped the fiery wings to his avatar—a cute female character with a support-based cleric class.

He stared at the screen in amazement. "She looks so cool! I finally have the full Flame Crimson set!"

His eyes drifted to the time displayed on the screen.

20:17

"Wait... it's already night? What day is it?"

The realization hit him hard. "Tuesday? I've been playing for three days straight?"

Feeling a sudden pang of hunger, he reached for a snack bag only to find it empty.

"Empty," he muttered with a frown, peering inside before tossing it onto the pile of discarded wrappers. He then grabbed an energy drink can, draining its last drop before sighing in frustration.

"Empty too? Damn..."

Reluctantly, Yuu stretched his arms and stood up, pushing back his chair.

"Guess I'll head out to buy some snacks."

Back to Ryo

Ryo decided to leave Hiroo since he was still unable to find any clues or signs of Player One.

"I don't think I'll find anything else today," he muttered.

He checked his phone to see the time.

08:25 PM

"Alright, maybe it's time to head back home and try again tomorrow," he thought to himself.

Just then—

Ding!

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

A MONSTER BREAK IS HAPPENING IN THE AREA

Unlike dungeon raids, monster breaks had a much lower chance of occurring. This phenomenon was different from dungeon raids in several ways. Monster breaks typically spawned between 1 to 10 monsters at a time, whereas dungeon raids could spawn thousands of monsters in waves, including a powerful dungeon boss.

However, despite the smaller scale, monster breaks were dangerous due to their unpredictability. They could spawn anything from F-rank to A-rank monsters. Another key difference was their persistence—monsters from a monster break could continue to exist indefinitely if left undefeated, unlike dungeon raids, which collapsed and disappeared once the dungeon boss was defeated.

"What the—?"

Ryo was surprised by the sudden monster attack.

He reminded himself that although this area was considered a ghost town, some people still chose to live here due to the lower housing prices.

"I need to find this monster right away. I won't let it harm anyone," he declared with determination.

While running around searching for the monster, Ryo suddenly noticed a faint red glow in the distance.

"Wait, is that...?"

As he got closer, he witnessed something strange—a rift-like dimension tearing apart, shattering like glass until a monster broke free from it.

The sound of glass shattering echoed through the air as the creature emerged.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

[MANTIS WARRIOR]

[LVL. 20] [RANK D]

The Mantis Warrior radiated lethal grace, its sturdy exoskeleton glowing with a vibrant emerald green that gleamed like polished jade under the dim light. Its long, slender limbs were tipped with razor-sharp claws, and its head resembled a helmet adorned with two antennae. The entire exoskeleton resembled a suit of full armor, making its appearance menacingly intimidating.

"Are you serious? A Rank D monster?" Ryo muttered in disbelief. "That's the same rank as the Great Harpy!"

"Is this a dungeon boss-level threat?" Ryo muttered anxiously.

"No, I don't have time to panic. If this thing keeps roaming around, it might cause destruction. I have to defeat it."

Doubt crept into his mind. "But can I defeat it on my own?"

He clenched his fists. "I think players nearby should have received the system notification about this monster. I just need to buy time for other players or the guild to notice and send reinforcements."

At that moment, the back of the Mantis Warrior began moving unnaturally, as if something alive was emerging from its exoskeleton.

A crackling sound echoed as its shells fractured.

Suddenly, wings burst forth, sleek and powerful. The creature looked up and began flapping them rapidly, creating a vibrating hum as it slowly lifted into the air.

"You're not going anywhere," Ryo thought, preparing for battle.

He commanded, "Menu."

The system interface appeared before him. "Equip," he chanted firmly.

A glowing light enveloped his entire body as a set of armor and gauntlets materialized out of thin air, piece by piece. The transformation completed, leaving Ryo fully armored.

The metallic clang of his armor echoed as he stepped forward.

"Hey! I said you're not going anywhere!" he shouted, glaring up at the Mantis Warrior already ascending into the sky.

"Huh..."

"Shockwave Punch!"

As Ryo punched the air, a powerful shockwave erupted, creating a forceful impact that shot toward the Mantis Warrior in the sky.

The Mantis Warrior barely dodged the attack, its movements sharp and swift. Now fully on alert, it hovered ominously, its predatory instincts heightened.

It stared down at Ryo, its expression unreadable. Though it said nothing, the menacing glare spoke volumes — a silent message: How dare a lowly human attack me?

The Mantis Warrior raised its arm, its claw gleaming as light reflected off its razor-sharp surface.

With a swift swipe, it unleashed a slashing wave.

Slash!

Ryo narrowly dodged the attack, feeling the sharp wind brush past him. The ground beneath was torn apart by the powerful strike.

"Damn... it almost got me."

He steadied himself, a smirk forming. "So I finally got your attention."

Without wasting time, Ryo activated two skills.

"Unstoppable Force! Iron Will!"

A surge of energy coursed through his body. His speed and tenacity skyrocketed with Unstoppable Force, while Iron Will boosted his maximum health and granted rapid regeneration.

"I'm not going down that easily," Ryo muttered, preparing for the next clash.

"I guess I finally have to try out this new item," Ryo said, then opened his system menu.

After saying Menu, the interface appeared before him.

[SYSTEM MENU]

▶ Player

▶ Equip

▶ Quests

▶ Collection

▶ Skills

▶ Inventory

▶ Map

✖ Hide Menu

He quickly scanned through it and tapped on the Item icon.

Without hesitation, he navigated to his inventory and selected the newly acquired item. The moment he tapped Equip, a glow surrounded his neck as the item materialized around it.

A unique item appeared—Wind Rider's Talisman.

"My neck is sore from looking up the whole time. I think it's only fair if we fight in midair."

As he spoke, a swirling wind effect began to form around his body, growing stronger with each passing second.