Solo Max-Level Newbie – Pure Blood

Chapter 11: Knight’s Token

"Uuugh..."

Priscilla’s expression changed even more noticeably than before.

But only for a brief moment.

From the overwhelming presence that surpassed a lower administrator to the fact that he knew about the ‘Knight’s Token’.

There was no way she could think of him as an ordinary human.

……There was something about him.

Priscilla was certain of it.

“If I were to give you the Knight’s Token… what could you do for me? I’ll tell you right now, ordinary offers won’t even make me budge.”

Hooked.

Yohan barely restrained the smirk tugging at his lips.

Snatching at the bait as soon as it’s thrown — that’s something only newbies did.

Sending that bait back to the nest and catching the entire family — that was what the veterans did.

From this moment on.

It was time to set the groundwork to manipulate not only Priscilla but every lower administrator beneath her.

“I’ll give you Divine Grass.”

“Eh, what? Just Divine— wait, wh-what? D-Divine Grass!!?? Don’t tell me, you mean that one!?”

“Yeah. That one.”

Those like Priscilla, classified as lower administrators, had to consume Divine Grass imbued with special mana once a month — without fail.

Just as water and air were essential to humans, it was indispensable for their survival.

However—

The mid-level administrator White Spirit used that fact to treat lower administrators like slaves.

She would only hand out minuscule portions right before they were on the verge of collapse.

Thanks to that, Priscilla was always desperate for Divine Grass.

And now—

Yohan was offering precisely what she desired most.

“Of course, I can’t give it to you right this moment. But within a month, I can obtain and deliver it. I’ll even make it 400—no, 500 grams.”

Enough to last at least five months.

Judging by the drool practically dripping from her mouth, he didn’t even need to hear her answer.

“You… really promise?”

“I’m not foolish enough to lie about a contract with a lower administrator. I’d rather not start an episode carrying a penalty.”

“Since you know about the contract too, it doesn’t seem like a lie.”

“Then, we have an agreement?”

Yohan reached his hand toward the tiny fairy.

Priscilla cautiously took his hand.

[Priscilla activates ‘Administrator’s Deal’!]

[‘Knight’s Token’ is engraved!]

Chiiik!

Golden embroidery seeped into his flesh.

At last, he had obtained an engraving that only appeared under specific conditions.

Good.

That marked the completion of the first task.

“Be grateful. Only a tiny few ever receive that.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Yohan looked at the star-cross-shaped engraving on the back of his hand and smiled faintly.

“I heard that when other humans got this, they cheered and even cried with joy, but why did I have to meet such a stone-faced guy…”

Priscilla’s muttering grew louder.

She sure liked making a big deal out of things.

Still, there was no denying that this was the most efficient path for progressing through the early stages.

More importantly, this was necessary to trigger the event with that guy in Episode 4.

Of course, there was a catch.

The Knight’s Token would turn into a double-edged sword the longer one kept it.

Well, that was a problem for later.

For now, it was time to enjoy the opportunity he had just acquired.

‘I already know what it does, but since it’s my first real gain, I might as well check it again.’

[Knight’s Token]

Details

You may choose one of the traits obtainable before Episode (3).

When facing warrior-type enemies, Attack and Defense increase by +5 each.

Affinity toward Holy-type abilities increases by +5.

The words appeared clearly in his mind.

He was so familiar with them that he could have recited them even in his sleep.

Still, firsts were always precious.

Yohan examined the details of the Knight’s Token again.

[Knight’s Token]

Details

You may choose one of the traits obtainable before Episode (5).

When facing warrior-type enemies, Attack and Defense increase by +10 each.

Holy Power increases by +10.

[Cost: Obtain ‘Divine Grass’ within one month and deliver it to Lower Administrator Priscilla.]

“My god…”

A gasp escaped Yohan’s lips before he realized it.

The contents written on the Knight’s Token completely caught him off guard.

＊＊＊

Let’s think this through.

Why were the details different from what he already knew?

One possibility was that the existence of ‘himself’ had created a butterfly effect.

However, the Apocalypse hadn’t even begun yet.

It was far too big a leap to conclude that simply meeting a lower administrator had caused all this.

There was an even slimmer chance that the clueless Priscilla had decided to tamper with the deal on her own.

‘There’s definitely something going on.’

Yohan’s mind raced.

From the very beginning until now—

He reviewed every single step he had taken, wondering if he had missed some small clue.

Yet no matter how much he thought about it, no clear answer came to mind.

The only thing he could infer— was that something wanted him to grow stronger.

“Why are you spacing out like that? Is it that good? Well, I guess since you’ve fought monsters before, you can probably guess how valuable it is to get first dibs on a skill or a trait, right?”

Priscilla smiled mischievously as she approached, nosiness dripping from every word.

“A skill is an innate ability tied to one’s class. In contrast, a trait is something that can be obtained regardless of class.”

Skills could evolve along their skill tree toward greater powers, but they were also restricted by class boundaries.

A magician might learn Fireball and later use Hellfire, but that didn’t mean they could suddenly start Sword Dancing or perform assassinations.

In contrast, traits had excellent versatility—yet the number one could possess was limited.

At the current stage, everyone could have up to three traits at most.

“You’re a total newbie, so you don’t know what to choose, huh? Here’s a hint — the term Episode (3) refers to a kind of sequence.”

“Episode (3), you say?”

“Yeah. Isn’t it written there?”

(3), huh…

So that’s what it meant.

“Right. You’re right. It’s just unfamiliar, so I got a bit confused.”

That confirmed one more piece of information.

Lower administrators couldn’t see the upgraded rewards.

“I’ll take my time deciding what to pick.”

There was no need to show her that he could choose a trait from Episode (5) here and now.

He had her on a partial leash, but it wasn’t a relationship built on trust yet.

‘You shouldn’t trust lower administrators so easily in the first place.’

They were cogs that moved according to the rules of each episode. Especially if a mid-level administrator got involved—they could turn on him at any time.

“I was curious about what you’d pick, but oh well, can’t be helped. Fine, take your time and pick when you can.”

“More importantly, can you tell me who the other humans that received the Knight’s Token are?”

“Huh? That’s… impossible. No, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you. I can’t tell you. Why would I lie when I’m already getting Divine Grass from you?”

So, there was a restriction placed on her.

Of course there was.

They wouldn’t let a single lower administrator ruin an event important enough to reach the higher chains of command.

If only he could’ve identified all the other holders of the Knight’s Token, he could’ve shaped the future much more favorably.

That part was slightly disappointing.

Still—

‘What I’ve gained is absurd.’

An early boost of +10 to both Attack and Defense— that was a merit strong enough to let him go toe-to-toe with at least one tier above him.

But the real prize was Holy Power.

Not just affinity—but actual Holy Power itself.

Considering that a novice priest who just entered a holy order needed a year of training to gain 10 points of Holy Power, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say he had obtained an equivalent benefit for free.

“Got it. From here on, I’ll take care of things myself. You must be busy, so don’t worry about me—go on.”

Priscilla’s assigned area wasn’t just the Withered Garden.

She managed nearly half of the Gangdong District, so she had to move around constantly in search of her next candidate.

“Hehe, you’re considerate. Ah! Let me give one last piece of advice to my most promising prospect.”

Priscilla added one more comment as she floated up into the air.

“You’ll probably be fine, but don’t get too greedy here. Just take down the boss and get out. If you happen to go down to the botto—mmph! Mmmph! Kkkiiieeghh!”

Priscilla barely tore off the large white tape that had sealed her mouth.

“Puhah! I almost suffocated to death! Anyway, please remember this — if you die after receiving the Knight’s Token from me, my evaluation score will tank!”

Vacation! Rewards! Divine Grass! And more—

Her future as a lower administrator would be flashing red alarms.

Of course, Yohan already knew roughly what she was trying to say.

It wasn’t about the 12-Star boss monster lurking in this place.

The real one was deeper— in the innermost depths of this garden.

She had probably tried to warn him about that being… and got sanctioned for it.

But—

‘Too bad for you.’

His final goal here was to meet that creature.

She must have planned to watch comfortably from above, clutching her golden lifeline, as if she were lounging at some luxury resort.

Not a chance.

Whether her vacation got canceled or her rewards vanished into thin air—

she could sit back and sweat bullets watching it all unfold.

Yohan grinned wickedly.

Thus, he secured one of the core opportunities he had to obtain in this place.

His heart began to pound in exhilaration.

And why wouldn’t it?

Wasn’t this the very week he’d longed for?

The fact that he could seize opportunities, grow stronger, and prepare for the future—

there was no thrill that could compare.

He had climbed the first mountain. Now it was time for the next.

Soon it would be the fourth day.

Typically, by the fourth day, all the gates leading to the boss would be cleared.

‘Up to the 999th run, the completion time was usually between four to five days at most.’

Which meant that by now, the main raid party should be at the heart of the garden — the Greenhouse.

Recalling what he had overheard before, Yohan estimated its rough location.

If he moved quickly, it was within a few hours’ reach.

[‘Sapphire Rattlesnake of the Mirror Cave’ activates ‘Prey Detection’!]

As the serpent’s tongue flickered, faint ripples spread outward.

It was an ability that detected enemies within a 300-meter radius.

Since there was no need to hunt monsters, this was the safest way to find a secure path forward.

[Bloodline Spell ‘Lesser Vampire Bat’ is summoned!]

“Kyut!”

Of course, he had eyes in the sky as well.

‘Flying would be faster, but if someone spots me, that’d be a pain.’

A sky without a single cloud.

Flight was not an ideal option.

Gathering a few necessary supplies, Yohan moved swiftly.

How long had he been traveling?

He glanced sideways into the air.

‘At this distance, Priscilla won’t be able to peek in.’

He hadn’t done anything special—just avoided monsters and walked.

From a lower administrator’s perspective, it would feel like watching a dull documentary with zero excitement.

If she had stayed to observe just in case, she’d have left long ago for her next candidate by now.

Finally—

The moment came to choose the reward granted through the Knight’s Token.

[Listing traits available before Episode (5)!]

[Please select one trait from a total of 512 options.]

Now then— which one should he choose?