The Spawn Hub was alive as ever—millions of players walking, trading, registering for games, or standing in guild groups. In the middle of the chaos, Joon-ho and Blaze stood side by side, their menus glowing.
"So," Blaze asked, scanning the board, "which one?"
Joon-ho tilted his head, eyes narrowing at a building marked with a glowing target symbol, its difficulty number pulsing a bright crimson 10.
"That one."
Blaze glanced at him. "Straight into difficulty ten, huh? Confident."
Joon-ho smirked. "More like desperate. We're grinding, right?"
Blaze sighed but followed as they registered.
[Target Game – Level 10: Bullseye Mayhem]
The arena was an endless steel range filled with moving mechanical drones. Each drone carried spinning targets, swooping and dodging at blinding speeds.
"Hit the targets," the announcer's voice echoed. "Miss too many, and you'll be eliminated."
Joon-ho gripped a gleaming digital bow, Blaze casually loading her crossbow. The round started—and chaos erupted.
Whoosh! Joon-ho's first arrow flew wide, grazing a target. Blaze, beside him, hit three in rapid succession without blinking.
"Tch—show off," he muttered, firing again.
Blaze smirked. "Focus, Titan."
Montage:
Joon-ho rolling under spinning saws in a trap dungeon, Blaze pulling him up by the arm just before spikes closed in.
The two sprinting side by side in a platform race, Joon-ho leaping recklessly while Blaze times every jump perfectly.
A horde survival match, Joon-ho swinging a glowing staff wildly at zombie-like AI while Blaze sniped from a rooftop.
A logic puzzle room, Blaze calmly solving the sequence while Joon-ho scratches his head, muttering, "This is rigged."
The two back-to-back in a capture-the-flag war, exchanging quick shouts:
"Left side!"
"Got it!"
"Cover me!"
"Don't miss, Titan!"
Their teamwork clicked more with each game, rhythm forming between Joon-ho's reckless creativity and Blaze's calculated precision.
By evening, they stepped out of the last building, exhausted but grinning faintly. The neon glow of the hub reflected in their eyes as they walked toward the residential zone.
Joon-ho scrolled through his menu, eyes widening at the rewards.
"Two hundred thousand EXP… Seventeen LP… My level's up to eighteen." He grinned. "Seventeen million Units in one day."
Blaze glanced at him, impressed but calm.
Joon-ho's smile faded slightly as he looked up at the distant leaderboard. The glowing names of the top 100 shimmered far above their reach.
"…But we're still nowhere near the top. We've gotta keep pushing."
Blaze didn't answer, but the faint look in her eyes said she agreed.
The Next Day – Montage Continues:
Joon-ho slamming his hand on the ground to block a pressure plate trap just before Blaze could step on it.
Blaze shouting at him mid-game, "You idiot! Don't run in blindly!" while still covering his back.
Joon-ho smirking during a match, "See? I had it under control," only to trip seconds later.
The two panting side by side after clearing another survival arena, sweat dripping, Blaze handing him water without looking at him.
Each glimpse showed their banter, their trust building, their rhythm sharpening.
By the time the second day ended, their exhaustion was visible—but so was the fire in their eyes.
The camera shifts away from the bustling Spawn Hub, away from Joon-ho and Blaze's grinding spree, into the shadows of a towering skyscraper in the Game City.
A man in a black coat walked through the dim-lit corridors, a thick file stamped with "CONFIDENTIAL" clutched in his gloved hands. His steps echoed until he reached an imposing steel door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
From within, a deep voice responded—low, commanding.
"…Come in."
The man pushed the door open. Inside, the vast chamber stretched into darkness, only lit by a wide glass wall overlooking the endless glow of the city below.
A single figure sat in a high-backed chair, broad shoulders relaxed, one hand resting against his chin as he gazed at the neon skyline.
The messenger walked forward and placed the file gently on the desk. "Sir… you need to look at this."
The man in the chair finally turned, his sharp features hidden in shadow. He opened the file slowly, flipping through the glowing sheets inside. His eyes lingered on the numbers—levels, units, LP, game clear records.
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
"…This much growth… in just two days?"
He leaned back, tapping a finger against the file.
"It took me nearly forty games to reach this point." His voice was amused, but edged with danger. "They're different. Special."
The messenger lowered his head respectfully. "What do you want us to do, Sir Ragnar?"
Ragnar Voss closed the file with a snap, a cruel smile forming on his lips.
"I want them in my guild."
"And if they refuse?" the messenger asked cautiously.
Ragnar's smile widened, his eyes glinting in the neon light.
"Then… we'll negotiate."
The camera lingered on his evil grin, his shadow stretching across the floor like a predator ready to strike.
The evening sun dipped low, casting the Spawn Hub in a deep orange glow. The neon lights of the city slowly began to flicker alive as the clock ticked to 6:40 PM.
Joon-ho and Blaze suddenly appeared on the Spawn Hub platform, their bodies shimmering faintly from teleportation. Joon-ho rolled his shoulders, a faint crack echoing as he stretched.
"That was just… awesome," he said with a grin. "Let's call it a day off."
Blaze let out a long exhale, brushing strands of hair from her face. "Yeah… I'm exhausted." Her steps wavered, her balance faltering.
"Woah—hey." Joon-ho caught her before she collapsed, lifting her arm over his shoulder.
"Watch yourself."
"I think…" Blaze murmured weakly, her voice soft. "…my fatigue bar's too high. I need… rest."
Joon-ho nodded, tightening his grip as he helped her walk. They moved slowly toward the Residential Zone, the glowing towers in the distance promising safety.
But then—
A man in a black trench coat and sharp suit stepped into their path. His polished shoes clicked against the floor as he stopped right in front of them. His head was tilted slightly, and he wore dark sunglasses despite the evening light. A sleek black earpiece blinked faintly in his ear.
He lifted a hand to his earpiece, muttering with a faint smirk, "Target is here."
Joon-ho tensed, instinctively adjusting Blaze behind him. "Who are you?"
The man dropped his hand and straightened. His voice was calm, professional, but carried authority.
"My name is irrelevant. I've come with an invitation."
"Invitation?" Joon-ho asked cautiously.
"Yes," the man said smoothly. "My superior has… a business proposal for you both. A great one. An opportunity you don't want to miss."
Joon-ho and Blaze exchanged uneasy glances. Both hesitated, weighing their options. The silence stretched, broken only by the faint hum of the Hub around them.
Finally, Blaze sighed. "…Alright. Let's hear it."
"Good choice."
The man adjusted his coat and gestured for them to follow. Together, the three walked away from the busy hub, entering a sleek teleport pod that pulsed with golden light.
Moments later, they stepped into the base of a towering skyscraper, its peak lost in the night sky. The glass and steel glimmered, reflecting the neon veins of the city. Security drones hovered silently near the entrance, their red sensors tracking every move.
Inside, the air was colder, heavier. They were led through a long hallway before reaching an immense chamber.
A figure sat in the center of the room, back turned to them, framed against a massive glass wall that looked out over the cyber-city's skyline. His posture was relaxed, but his presence weighed like steel.
The man in black bowed slightly. "Sir. They're here."
The figure raised a hand slightly, his deep voice calm yet commanding.
"Welcome."
Slowly, his chair turned halfway, revealing just enough of his sharp jawline and confident smirk. His eyes, cold yet alive with ambition, lingered on them.
"So…" he said smoothly. "Let's get to business, shall we?"
The city lights gleamed in the reflection of his glasses as his voice hung heavy in the silence.