If this man had played Exodia 1… chances were, he would've claimed one of the top ranks in Heaven Above Heaven.

"And you remember everything I told you, right?"

"Huh? You mean not to touch the monsters?"

"Yes. Don't get involved until I give you the signal."

"Don't worry. I even brought dumbbells so I wouldn't be tempted."

After hammering the point into Tempah a few more times, Jhin finally stepped into the dungeon.

And the moment he entered—red eyes glimmered from every crevice in the dark cave.

[You have entered D-rank Dungeon: 'Troll's Nest.']

Jhin took a breath and calmly began removing his gear. First off—he unequipped Scarecrow's Thorn Gauntlet. Then came the Goblin King's Crown… and the Goblin King's Ring.

No armor. No accessories.

Bare fists.

KIIIIEEE!

A troll charged in, letting out a sharp, hideous screech.

Activating his Soft Skills, Jhin darted forward and threw a clean hit into the creature's side. He had intentionally drained all his Power before entering the dungeon. His strike relied purely on brute strength.

Even so—the troll's side ruptured from the blow.

KIIIIEEEEE!

But of course, it regenerated almost immediately.

To kill a troll, you had to pierce its heart. Instantly, in one blow. On top of that, the thickest bone in the troll's body coiled protectively over its heart like armor.

In short—you needed a strike strong enough to shatter both bone and organ at once.

Jhin moved in rhythm, targeting the troll's shoulders, knees, abdomen, skull—systematically dismantling its mobility.

It was then, from behind, that Tempah spoke up with a word of advice.

"You gotta burst its heart if you wanna kill it."

"…I know that already!"

Jhin continued fighting until the next troll was drawn to the sound of battle.

[You have defeated a 'Troll.']

[You gained experience.]

[You have obtained item: 'Troll Hide.']

Jhin drove his fist clean through the troll's heart. Not missing a beat, he pivoted to the next enemy.

Messages popped up one after another—but he only had eyes for one.

[Class Advancement Quest in progress. Time remaining: 11 hours 48 minutes.]

Twelve minutes per monster… Yeah. Trolls were perfect for this.

They were level-appropriate, offered resistance, and were difficult to kill. Just the kind of target he needed.

Honestly, the fact that I can kill them without any equipment is… kind of troubling.

They had incredibly high resilience. Killing them without a heart strike was next to impossible. Normally, that would be a headache—but for a quest like this, they were ideal.

Tempah let out a low hum.

"Hm… So this is training, huh?"

Jhin dodged a troll's claw and continued hammering away at its body—carefully avoiding the heart. Tempah, watching from a distance, continued his commentary.

"Yeah. You've got grit. I respect that."

Whatever he thought, Jhin stopped paying him any attention. After roughly 30 more minutes of nonstop brawling, he'd gotten used to the weight and resistance of troll flesh.

He could now regulate his strength without accidentally tearing the whole thing apart.

And then—it happened.

[A new trial has been added to your Class Advancement Quest.]

[5kg sandbags have been attached to each arm and leg.]

A total of 20kg.

Jhin gritted his teeth as the weight suddenly bore down on him. So it had begun.

Goddamn class advancement quests…

But he had expected this.

The class he was aiming for—the one that had made him Rank #1 in Exodia—was outright broken. A fraudulent class, really.

And Exodia always demanded trials befitting a reward like that.

Death risk, death return.

It had been a while since he thought about that cursed balance philosophy. His brow furrowed.

Technically, my class quest began with Hell difficulty.

The very first requirement for the class he sought had been choosing Hell Difficulty in the Trial nexus.

And naturally, with Hell Difficulty came trials.

[A new trial has been added to your Class Advancement Quest.]

[Oxygen supply will be restricted for 3 minutes.]

How many more would come?

Twelve hours of uninterrupted combat.

He had to finish it—only then would he reach the class he desired.

KWAAAAANG!

He couldn't use power. Couldn't breathe. And the weight strapped to his limbs had already passed 50kg.

Dangerous moments started coming in waves.

…I'm about to collapse.

He moved like a machine. Even without thinking, his fists flew. He dodged the trolls' claws without even needing to activate his Soft skills.

Was he still breathing?

Where even was he?

How much time has passed?

His heavy fists swung again, slamming into a troll's chest. He was becoming dull. His body, his mind—everything blurred at the edges.

This was the most dangerous moment.

Like a driver nodding off—not in the city, but on the highway.

Endless repetition. Identical monsters. Stamina worn raw, one trial after another stacking on his frame.

Jhin widened his eyes, forcing focus into his fading vision.

He had to stay conscious.

If he passed out now—everything would be for nothing.

But then—

[A new trial has been added to your Class Advancement Quest.]

[One side of your vision will now be restricted.]

This damn quest showed no signs of letting up.

Without even adjusting to the sudden visual imbalance, Jhin swept a leg across the troll's ankles and brought it crashing down.

How many times did he black out?

Faintly, the troll's snarling face came into view beyond the fog of his mind.

Jhin gasped for breath, raising his trembling fist once more.

Then—

KWAAAAANG!

The troll's heart burst clean open. It died instantly.

"…What are you doing?"

"The time's up. You did good."

"…Huh?"

Only then did Jhin realize there was a new message floating in front of him.

[Congratulations. You have successfully completed your Class Advancement Quest.]

[You have acquired skill: 'Focus (S).']

[!]

[All class-related skills have been upgraded by one tier.]

[Skill 'Soft skills(A)' has become 'Soft skills(S).']

[Skill 'PowerFocus (F)' has become 'PowerFocus (E).']

(…and more…)

As if to reward every drop of effort, system messages burst across his vision like fireworks. Jhin read through them, breath ragged, heart pounding with a thrill he couldn't put into words.

And then—at the end of it all—he saw this:

[You have fulfilled the first requirement for the item: 'Sealed Book.']

['First Seal' has been released.]