It was a peaceful Saturday morning. Lying on his back and gazing at the ceiling, Do-Jun slowly opened his eyes at the crack of dawn. He always woke up at dawn, whether it was a weekday or a weekend. He paused his internal energy cultivation. Although he had ascended to the absolute highest rank, Do-Jun still made it a point to improve his internal energy through the Heavenly Demon Cultivation Art. The refined energy coursing through his body gradually settled. Back in the Central Plains, martial artists categorized stages as Peak or Flower Realm, but such distinctions meant nothing to Do-Jun now. His power had long surpassed those levels to infinity, rendering any classification irrelevant. Do-Jun gently lifted Byeol, who was sprawled on top of him, sound asleep. He sat up after carefully placing her on the bed. He and Byeol were the only ones on the bed. Yoon-Hee had left for a training camp the previous night, accompanied by Yong-Yong and Karsiel. Putting on his slippers, Do-Jun stepped into the hallway and opened the main door of the apartment. The elevator doors soon opened, and the newspaper deliveryman approached, bowing slightly in greeting as he handed over the morning paper. “Good morning! Lovely day, isn’t it?” he greeted Do-Jun. “Morning. Yes, it is.” Do-Jun smiled warmly, taking the paper. The deliveryman continued, sliding newspapers under the doors of other apartments on the third floor. Returning to his kitchen, Do-Jun filled the coffee pot with water and placed the newspaper on the dining table, ready to see what today’s news said. “Behemoth Clears the Fourth Floor of the Core!” As expected, the hottest topic was the Core. Seeing this headline, Do-Jun thought it might be time to visit the eighth floor of the Core. Sipping a warm Americano, he decided to go for a stroll there tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Water Serpent descended to the seventh floor of the Core from the sixth for the first time in a while. The seventh floor had no special features, serving only as a place for adventurers to be evaluated. Spotting the large, floating figure of Yeomra, the Water Serpent called out, “Hey, gramps!” Lost in thought, Yeomra turned slightly, looking at the man who had addressed him. Known as the gatekeeper of the seventh floor and a catastrophe-level monster, the Water Serpent yawned lazily before leaping into the air to face Yeomra head-on. “Water Serpent? What brings you here?” Yeomra asked. “Just curious if Lee Do-Jun’s been around. Haven’t heard anything lately, so I wondered if you might’ve sent him to the Deep Realm.” Yeomra was one of the Core’s administrators, responsible for judging adventurers. Those whose accomplishments fell short during the mid-adventure evaluations were cast into the abyss for their incompetence. The Water Serpent, having heard no word of a newcomer on the eighth floor, decided to ask Yeomra directly. “Ah, I’ve already given him the entry pass for the eighth floor,” Yeomra said, referring to Do-Jun with respect. So, Do-Jun passed the evaluation, the Water Serpent thought. Of course, the idea of him failing was absurd. Still, Yeomra’s respectful tone was intriguing. The Water Serpent chuckled inwardly, imagining all sorts of humiliation that Yeomra might have endured. It seemed Yeomra had been “taught a lesson” by Do-Jun, just like himself. “Why do you ask?” Yeomra asked the Water Serpent. “Just curious... So, he headed down to the eighth floor?” Yeomra shook his head, recalling that after gaining entry to the eighth floor, Do-Jun had gone back to Earth to finish some business. Since then, he hadn’t shown up again and was probably still on Earth. “That’s a relief. The Rainbow Bird is my friend, after all,” the Water Serpent commented. “Ah, yes. You and that one came to be after gnawing on the World Tree.” The World Tree on the eighth floor was a tree of infinite life force, brimming with boundless magical energy. When it sprouted, two catastrophes appeared to devour its life force—the Rainbow Bird and the Water Serpent. Around 11 AM, Do-Jun was alone in the kitchen, preparing lunch. He had bought two packs of Vienna sausages earlier. A faint energy emanated from his fingertips as he sliced open the sausage packaging. The plastic split cleanly, revealing the large sausages. Do-Jun was about to use his internal energy to score them, but hesitated. Instead, he took out a kitchen knife, placed the sausages on the cutting board, and carefully made incisions by hand. Though there was little difference in the actual cooking, Do-Jun preferred the ordinary, hence the knife. With the scoring complete, he tossed the sausages into a heated frying pan. They began to sizzle in the olive oil, their aroma soon filling the kitchen. Do-Jun opened the rice cooker, revealing a mix of brown rice and other grains. Steam rose as he scooped a portion into a bowl and placed it on the dining table. Soon, the bedroom door creaked open, and Byeol walked out. Had the scent of the sausages reached her? She toddled over, sniffing the air, her small steps quickening. Her mouth was already watering, a soft gulp audible with each step. “N-no way...” Byeol blinked as she looked at the plate piled high with sausages on the table. “It’s sausage heaven...” Brown rice, sausages, and kimchi—it was indeed heaven. Smiling, Do-Jun lifted Byeol into her chair. “Is today a special day, Daddy?” Byeol asked him. “Huh? No, not really.” “Then why so many sausages?” “They were on sale at the store.” Byeol gasped, her eyes sparkling. “Okie!” She eagerly stabbed a sausage with her small plastic fork and brought it to her mouth. Yoon-Hee often made sausages for her, but she’d never seen ones this large. The dripping oil was irresistible, heightening her appetite. “S-so tasty!” she exclaimed. “Eat as much as you like. There’s plenty more,” said Do-Jun. Byeol began devouring the sausages enthusiastically. Do-Jun smiled as he watched her, pulling out his smartphone to text Hakase. The eighth floor of the Core was a vast, endless ocean. At its center stood a massive tree—the World Tree, a legendary entity brimming with life, its entire being classified as a Hidden Piece. For adventurers, it was a life-saving beacon, sustaining them as they navigated the deadly Sea of Death. However, even that beacon was starting to falter. At the top of the World Tree sat a colossal nest, home to the Rainbow Bird. The bird, curled up in sleep, suddenly opened its sharp eyes, spread its wings, and let out a resounding roar. Then it pecked at one of the branches of the World Tree and devoured it. The Rainbow Bird grew stronger by feeding on the branches of the World Tree. Each bite boosted its vitality. Although it takes the World Tree hundreds of years to regenerate a single branch, for the Rainbow Bird, they served as mere sustenance. The World Tree trembled as one of its branches was eaten, triggering a massive earthquake that occurred every few years. Each time the Rainbow Bird spread its wings, the adventurers on the eighth floor were gripped with intense fear. If this continued, the World Tree could collapse, leaving the adventurers stranded and vulnerable, plunging into the Sea of Death, where their bodies would dissolve. At that moment, a single leaf from the World Tree detached and floated into the sky. The adventurers realized a new arrival had appeared on the eighth floor. They muttered condolences, thinking the unlucky fool should’ve stayed on the sixth floor. Soon, a Fissure opened in the air, and a man fell through. The World Tree’s leaf wrapped around the falling man and safely delivered him to its domain. This was the World Tree’s way of preventing adventurers from instantly dying in the Sea of Death upon descending to the eighth floor. However, the man brushed aside the World Tree’s leaf as if it were unnecessary and immediately soared toward the top of the World Tree. “What the?!” The adventurers were stunned. “Stop eating the tree, you damn bird!” a shout echoed out, and the Rainbow Bird’s head was slammed into the ground. The bird let out a loud, screeching “Squak!” as it was knocked away from its meal. Who dared to attack it during its feast? Enraged, the Rainbow Bird transformed into its humanoid form and glared at the attacker. But it wasn’t an enemy. “Water Serpent...?” the bird muttered. “Oh, are you here to eat too?” The Rainbow Bird couldn’t understand the Water Serpent’s reaction. Occasionally, the Water Serpent would come to the eighth floor to snack on the World Tree, either to replenish its strength or out of boredom. But this behavior was unusual. “Listen, I’m telling you this because you’re my friend—stop eating the World Tree,” warned the Water Serpent. The Rainbow Bird frowned, scratching its head. “Why?” “Because Lee Do-Jun is coming to the eighth floor.” So what? the Rainbow Bird thought in stunned silence. It felt irritated that its meal was being interrupted for such a trivial reason. If this Lee Do-Jun was just another adventurer, what did that have to do with stopping its meal? “Look, I’ll say it again. I’m telling you this as your good friend: that guy is unbelievably strong. Don’t pick a fight with him,” the Water Serpent repeated. The Rainbow Bird ruffled its feathers in frustration. “You always talk nonsense. How strong can an adventurer be? They’re all weaklings who wouldn’t last a single attack of mine.” Adventurers who reached the eighth floor had passed Yeomra’s trials. They were considered strong among their kind, but still, adventurers were just adventurers. Compared to someone like the Rainbow Bird, who grew by consuming the World Tree’s power, they were insignificant. “You know that when adventurers reach the eighth floor, they usually receive a quest to protect the World Tree, don’t you? Well, so will Lee Do-Jun, and if you keep eating it, he will kill you.” The Rainbow Bird dismissed the warning as a joke. “So, his name is Lee Do-Jun?” “Yeah. Remember that. He’s a young man with black hair.” “Got it. If a black-haired adventurer shows up, I’ll kill him on the spot.” The Rainbow Bird shrugged confidently. The Water Serpent let out an exasperated laugh. “What’s that by your side?” the Rainbow Bird asked. “This? It’s a Korean lesson book.” It was the Hangul for Children, Vol. II. The Water Serpent had recently finished the first volume and had moved on to the second. He added, “Korean is the language from Earth, where Lee Do-Jun lives.” “You’re studying that?” the Rainbow Bird asked derisively. “Idiot.” The Rainbow Bird snickered, finding the situation absurd. The Water Serpent’s temper flared at the mocking laughter. “Anyway, if this Lee Do-Jun shows up, I’ll kill him right away. Don’t worry about it.” The Rainbow Bird smirked, brimming with confidence. The Water Serpent could only shake his head and sigh. Everyone had a plan—until they got beaten the living hell out of them.