The street grew quiet.
Too quiet.
A few minutes ago it had been filled with the sounds of battle—screeching goblins, crashing metal, terrified screams from the survivors hiding in the café.
Now there was only silence.
The kind of silence that felt wrong.
Min-Jae stood in the middle of the road, breathing slowly as he stared at the system window floating in front of him.
[Additional Tutorial Boss Incoming]
The message still hovered there, glowing faintly in the air.
Behind him, the café door creaked open.
A man stepped outside cautiously, glancing around like someone expecting monsters to jump out at any second.
"Is… is it over?" he asked.
Another survivor peeked from behind him.
"Did he kill them all?"
Min-Jae didn't answer.
His eyes were still locked on the system message.
Because something about it bothered him.
In his previous life, the tutorial had been simple. Brutal, yes—but predictable.
A few waves of weak monsters.
Some people died.
Some survived.
And those who survived eventually awakened as hunters.
That was how it had always happened.
But this message…
This "additional tutorial boss"…
It had never existed before.
Which meant one thing.
"The timeline has already changed," Min-Jae murmured.
One of the survivors stepped closer to him.
"You… you can see that blue window too, right?"
Min-Jae glanced at him briefly.
The man looked pale, his hands shaking slightly.
"Yeah," the man continued nervously. "I saw it appear just now. The one that said something about a boss."
Min-Jae frowned.
"You can see it?"
"Of course I can see it!"
Another survivor chimed in.
"It's floating right there in the sky!"
Min-Jae's expression darkened.
That was wrong.
System messages were usually visible only to the person they were meant for.
Which meant this message…
Was meant for everyone.
Almost like a global announcement.
As if the system itself wanted them to know what was about to happen.
A sudden rumble interrupted his thoughts.
At first it was faint.
A low vibration under his feet.
Min-Jae looked down.
The asphalt trembled slightly.
Then the rumble grew stronger.
Cracks began forming in the road.
The survivors gasped.
"What's happening?!"
"Is it another monster?!"
Min-Jae slowly turned his head toward the far end of the street.
Something was moving there.
At first he thought it was just shadows shifting between the buildings.
But then he saw it.
A massive silhouette.
Large enough to block the street entirely.
Step.
The ground shook.
Step.
Dust fell from the nearby buildings.
The survivors panicked.
"Oh my god…"
"What the hell is that thing?!"
Min-Jae narrowed his eyes.
As the creature moved closer, its shape became clearer.
It was enormous.
At least three meters tall.
Its skin looked rough and gray, almost like stone, and thick muscles bulged beneath it. Long arms dragged slightly along the ground, ending in claws that scraped against the pavement with a horrible grinding sound.
The creature's head tilted slightly.
Then two glowing yellow eyes opened in the darkness.
And they were staring directly at him.
Min-Jae felt a chill run down his spine.
"Not good," he muttered.
A system window appeared instantly.
[System Analysis Activated]
The blue screen flickered for a moment.
Then information began appearing.
But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
???
Rank: UnknownLevel: ???Species: ???
Min-Jae blinked.
"That's impossible."
The system had always been able to identify monsters.
Even the strongest creatures had clear ranks and levels.
But this one…
It was completely unreadable.
The creature stepped forward again.
Now it was fully visible under the streetlights.
Gasps erupted behind Min-Jae.
"That thing… isn't a goblin…"
"No… it's something else…"
The monster slowly rolled its shoulders as if stretching after a long sleep.
Its massive hands clenched into fists.
Then it looked directly at Min-Jae again.
And smiled.
Not a mindless monster grin.
But a deliberate one.
Min-Jae's heart skipped a beat.
"Monsters in the tutorial don't smile."
The creature suddenly lifted one foot.
And slammed it down.
BOOM.
The ground cracked.
The shockwave nearly knocked the survivors off their feet.
The monster opened its mouth and released a deep growl that echoed through the entire street.
Min-Jae exhaled slowly.
"Well… I guess that's the boss."
Behind him, the survivors began backing away.
"We're going to die…"
"We should run!"
"RUN!"
They rushed back toward the café, slamming the door shut behind them.
Min-Jae didn't move.
He kept watching the monster carefully.
Running wouldn't help.
If that creature wanted to kill them, it would catch them easily.
Which meant there was only one option.
Fight.
The monster suddenly crouched slightly.
Min-Jae's instincts screamed.
"Here it comes."
The creature lunged forward.
The ground exploded under its feet as it launched itself across the street.
Its speed was unbelievable for something that large.
Min-Jae reacted instantly.
He jumped sideways just as the monster's fist slammed into the road where he had been standing.
BOOM.
The asphalt shattered.
Chunks of concrete flew through the air.
Min-Jae landed a few meters away, rolling once before standing up again.
His heart pounded.
"That punch would've killed me."
The creature slowly pulled its fist out of the crater it had created.
Then it turned toward him again.
Its glowing eyes narrowed slightly.
Almost like it was studying him.
Min-Jae tightened his grip on the metal rod.
He had fought stronger monsters than this before.
But not this early.
Not with this little equipment.
Still…
He raised his hand slightly.
"System Glitch."
A notification appeared.
[Skill Activated]
For a brief moment, the monster's body flickered.
Just slightly.
Like a broken image on a screen.
And then it appeared.
A small red mark on the creature's chest.
A weak point.
Min-Jae's eyes sharpened instantly.
"That's my chance."
He dashed forward.
His footsteps echoed across the broken street as he closed the distance.
The monster lifted its arm to attack again.
But Min-Jae was already moving.
He jumped.
Twisted in the air.
And swung the metal rod directly toward the glowing weak point.
CLANG.
The impact echoed loudly.
But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Min-Jae's eyes widened.
The red mark had vanished.
The monster's chest was solid again.
The creature slowly looked down at him.
Then it laughed.
A deep, rumbling laugh that shook its entire body.
Min-Jae immediately jumped back.
His mind raced.
"That… shouldn't happen."
System Glitch revealed weak points for three seconds.
Three seconds was more than enough time for an attack.
So why had it disappeared instantly?
The monster rolled its shoulders again.
Then it raised one massive hand toward the sky.
The system window suddenly appeared again.
But this time the message wasn't just in front of Min-Jae.
It appeared high above the entire street.
Large enough for everyone to see.
[Emergency Event Activated]
Min-Jae stared at the message.
A bad feeling settled in his stomach.
Another line appeared.
Slowly.
[Boss Evolution Initiated]
Min-Jae froze.
Because that mechanic…
didn't exist in the tutorial.
And as he looked back at the monster…
he realized its body was already beginning to change.