Solo Max-Level Newbie – Pure Blood

Chapter 4: Prologue

A tingling thrill that stimulated his peripheral nerves.

“Phew….”

Yohan steadied his breathing.

What he saw before his eyes was a ring.

A beautiful shape crafted from black meteoric iron.

Its delicate engravings and intricate decorations stood out.

[You have acquired the ‘Ring of Crimson Lotus.’]

He had half-expected it, but to actually obtain this was beyond his imagination.

Holding the ring in his hand, Yohan calmed his pounding heart with effort.

If he could use this properly, it would play an enormous role in breaking through the early episodes.

‘Now I just need to get out.’

The objective had been achieved.

From here on, he needed to pour all his focus into building up how best to utilize this ring.

＊＊＊

Time passed quickly.

Before long, midnight approached.

On his way to briefly appear at the banquet prepared as an afterparty, Yohan ran into someone.

It was Cardmun, the one he had crushed during the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.

Flinch.

The young vampire’s body trembled faintly.

The fear from that ceremony still hadn’t faded, it seemed.

Good. He had been meaning to see him again anyway.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Yohan walked toward the boy.

“Cardmun, was it?”

“Y-yes… that’s right.”

Cardmun’s attitude had changed significantly.

Like a herbivore facing a predator.

Obedient, powerless.

Even so, he couldn’t completely hide the emotions within.

He was young, after all.

And resentful.

He hadn’t yet grown the wolf’s heart capable of swallowing such things whole.

“Don’t be so stiff. Just act as usual. We’ll be seeing each other for a long time—I’d rather not make things awkward.”

“Are you… truly all right with this?”

Of course he was.

How generous was he, after all? Would he really hold a grudge because some rude brat had mouthed off and mocked him a bit?

Kids were supposed to grow up that way.

Bicker a little, play a little, and grow closer in the process.

In that sense, he planned to play a simple game together.

Back in his 305th run, he had been obsessed with modern sports. Playing together would help build camaraderie—and be fun, too.

Cardmun nodded as he listened to Yohan explain the game called ‘Bowling.’

“It seems the two of us alone won’t be enough.”

“Then call the others who participated in the ceremony. This is a good chance to clear up any misunderstandings.”

Except that Scarlet girl. Everyone else should come, without exception.

Thus began a game of bowling that was… rather different from ordinary bowling.

The bowling pins were vampires.

And the bowling ball—an armadillo nearly two meters tall.

“P-please, we were wrong! We were wrong!”

“I’ve always believed you were the true heir to the House, Lord Yohan!”

“N-no, I was certain only you could be the new moon of Ataraxia!”

The vampires trembled, scrambling to defend themselves.

The ones who mocked him, the ones who laughed, and that bastard in the back row who once discriminated based on hair color.

“You know what? A truly mad dog usually stays quiet.”

Those who barked all day did so only because they were scared.

A real rabid dog simply waited in silence.

For its prey to come close enough.

“My body is made for rolling.”

Taking a deep breath, Yohan rolled the ball toward the huddled vampires.

“Kiieeeek!”

The curled-up armadillo performed its duty as a bowling ball splendidly.

Kwak-kwak-kwak-kwak-kwak….

……KWAANG!!!

Wow. That one really flew far.

That flattened one over there probably wouldn’t be lifting a spoon anytime soon.

“Ughhh….”

“M-my… my leg!”

The vampires’ bodies twitched intermittently, all of them having been knocked down.

“H-ha, haha… W-wonderful, Lord Yohan. This is what they call a st… strike, right?”

Cardmun clapped with a pale face beside him.

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Polite yet thunderous applause.

Yohan stared straight at Cardmun.

Why was he still smiling?

“Now that you know how it works, shouldn’t you hurry up and go take your position?”

Just in time—there was a shortage of bowling pins.

“I-if I play along this time, will I be able to live peacefully from now on?”

“Of course. I’m the kind who likes to laugh and get along with my friends.”

One who held no grudges, magnanimous enough to embrace all.

That was who he was.

＊

Thirty minutes later, after finishing his desperate revenge match from the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, Yohan arrived at the banquet hall.

Everyone was busy enjoying the afterparty, drinking wine and celebrating.

“Your Highness, on such a joyful day, you must have a drink as well!”

“The night has only begun—where are you headed already?”

“I may have overdone it earlier, so I’m a little tired. I’ll return after a few hours.”

He had shown his face; now it was time to head to the Blood Vault.

At this hour, no one would interrupt his attempt at the 1,000th round.

However—

When he reached the place where the forbidden books were kept, something unbelievable happened.

“You’ve arrived.”

“Oh my… you?”

Yohan’s pupils quaked.

Before his eyes stood a figure radiating an aura far beyond reach.

Alice von Ataraxia.

The Lord of Ataraxia—and Yohan’s mother.

She had been absent for quite some time, yet of all moments, they had to meet now.

She hadn’t even appeared at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, so he was certain they wouldn’t cross paths today.

Why now?

Moreover—whether coincidence or not—she was holding the Forbidden Book.

There was no way to deny it.

He was completely caught.

If luck was on his side, it would be a scolding.

If not, spears made of blood would rain down upon him.

‘Must live’—the brain’s highest command was delivered straight to his tongue.

“That is… I received this ring as a prize from the ceremony, but I thought I might prefer to choose something else.”

Yohan came up with an excuse, but Alice showed neither anger nor intent to reprimand him.

Instead—

Concern.

Yes, her eyes and face were filled with deep maternal affection for her child.

“Do you know what this book is?”

“Isn’t it some kind of unusual novel?”

A bizarrely difficult one, full of strange parts.

Honestly, he had wanted to tear it apart about 999 times.

However—

The words that came out of Alice’s mouth shattered Yohan’s understanding entirely.

“It is a Prophecy. A record of what is to come. To me—or anyone else—it would appear blank. But it seems you’ve been chosen.”

“What?”

Wait, what did that mean?

A prophecy?

Did that mean this world wasn’t mere fiction?

And what did being ‘chosen’ even mean?

Confusion kneaded his mind into a chaotic lump.

Then—

Wuuuung!

Golden ripples began to surge from the book.

As if warning that little time remained.

“Don’t blame yourself. It was only a matter of time. By now, they must have realized our existence.”

Alice spoke.

That from this moment, he would leave the Tower.

And that what he had experienced would soon become reality.

“The only one who can do this, Yohan… is you.”

No one else could.

There was no information about the apocalypse beyond imagination that was approaching.

Above all, only the one chosen by the Forbidden Book could break through the seal and leave the Tower of Trials.

[‘The Final Round’ is beginning.]

A radiant light burst from the book, enveloping Yohan.

Alice bit her lip.

Their faces blurred, little by little.

Worry, fear, and affection filled the air between them.

“We’ll find our own way. No matter what, we’ll never give up—we’ll find a path to bring you back.”

So—

Please, be safe.

No matter what.

No matter what…

We’ll come for you.

[Accessing the final page of the Forbidden Book. Failure will result in—]

And then—

[All living beings within the ‘Tower of Trials,’ including yourself, will be annihilated.]

The Forbidden Book devoured reality.

＊＊＊

[You have been moved to the ‘Starting Point’!]

A familiar scene unfolded with a burst of bright light.

The very same place where everything had always begun.

The only difference was that this was no longer a world within the Forbidden Book—it was reality, outside the Tower of Trials.

This was the 1,000th round, and at the same time, the final one that would never repeat again.

“Phew.”

Yohan exhaled a deep sigh.

Indeed…

It had begun lightly.

Just experiencing the world beyond the Tower—where he had been imprisoned all his life—had been enough at first.

When he learned it could grant wishes—

Well, he had taken things much more seriously.

But now—

Knowing that it had become reality, and that the fate of everyone was at stake…

‘Not easy.’

It felt like he was being crushed under the weight of it all.

The days of enjoying it were over.

The worst apocalypse was coming.

Of course—

There were still Hunters in the modern world.

Guilds and alliances existed with their own strength and influence.

However—

‘It won’t be enough.’

They were powerful, yes, but only within manageable limits.

This, however, was far beyond the bounds of reason.

Yohan looked up at the digital screen in the middle of the building.

And—

[December 9th, 3:57 AM]

[Disaster Alert: One unclassified, closed-type Gate has appeared near Exit 3 of Cheonho Station, Gangdong District. Response teams are being deployed. Citizens are advised to remain indoors.]

[Additional Disaster Alert: Signs of four more Gates emerging in the Gangdong area.]

[Breaking News: Executive of Taehwa Pharmaceuticals under arrest warrant for ‘illegal drug development.’ Suspected of collusion with the Hestia Empire.]

[Economy: Magic Stone demand surges, price increases by approximately 11.55% compared to previous day.]

[Breaking: ‘Church of the Moon’ followers occupy Mapo Bridge, begin mass protest demanding recognition as a state religion and declare a hunger strike.]

“……!!??”

Impossible.

Though several breaking news reports followed, Yohan’s eyes caught only one thing.

December 9th.

The moment he saw that number, it felt as though ice-cold water poured through his entire body.

Of course it did.

In every one of the 999 previous rounds, the date had always been December 16th—the very day the Apocalypse began.

But this time—

‘I’ve gone back a week.’

It was what he had wished for most.

A chance to start from the same point in time as everyone else.

The shock of this benefit swept away all his previous worries and thoughts in an instant.

And—

The surprises didn’t end there.

Ding!

[An additional privilege has been granted for the final round.]

[The Strategy Guide in your possession has disappeared.]

[You have obtained the ‘Eye of the Prophet (7-day conditional limited period)’ containing all data from the Strategy Guide.]

Whoosh!

The Strategy Guide that had accompanied him through every round turned to ashes.

In its place—

Its essence, filled with memories, seeped into his right eye.

‘The Eye of the Prophet!’

Yohan’s heart pounded wildly once more.

Among all the eyes existing in this world, this was one of the top five. And with the contents of the Strategy Guide stored within it, it was truly absurdly overpowered.

Of course, there was the restriction of seven days—but there was a way around that.

The forewarning of the Apocalypse would appear at 4 PM.

After that, an entire week of preparation time would be granted.

Naturally, there was no mention of this in any news update yet.

Now—just one minute left.

Yohan looked at the flashing clock.

It was almost time.

In sixty seconds, the world would change forever.

And the instant the digital numbers shifted to 16:00—

Swaaaah…

Everything changed.

—The black rain is an omen.

Rain began to fall.

Dark and ominous in color.

—It washes away the old and heralds the dawn of a new beginning.

“W-what the hell?”

“Why’s the rain that color?”

“Some kind of Gate-related contamination? Damn it, this world really keeps surprising me.”

“Whatever, let’s just get inside. There’s a convenience store over there. Damn, what a mess.”

People on the streets scrambled for cover beneath buildings, startled by the sudden phenomenon.

The moon, dyed in black, was now eclipsing the sun.

An untimely total solar eclipse.

And as if scripted—

Ding!

A status window flickered before the eyes of all humanity.

[Condition fulfilled.]

[Episode of Apocalypse begins for Dimensional Coordinate #A109, Planet ‘Earth.’]

It was real.

There was no longer any room for doubt.

[Activate your Personal Status Window to view your detailed information.]

[All humans, prepare for the first episode.]

[#01. Green Wave]

[Remaining Time: 6D : 23H : 59M : 59S]

Yohan quietly read and reread each word displayed in the status window.

＊＊＊

A sudden message of the world’s end appeared before all humanity.

Those few short lines had an immeasurable impact.

—FindYourAunt: What do you mean the Apocalypse starts in a week? Isn’t the Tower of Trials over already?

—PayMyCardCherry: This has to be some kind of prank. The Association’s messing with us, right?

—AlmostSaidIt: Doesn’t make sense. The message appeared to everyone. There’s no one in the world with that kind of power.

—AssaultMonster: This seems completely different from the usual Dungeons. Is this really going to be okay?

—AAProducing: Come on, what could possibly happen? You’ve seen how strong the big guild Hunters are, right? Go watch some videos analyzing their and the Church’s power levels.

—z105s63: lmao, if it’s the Apocalypse or whatever, my cat could solo it.

—RiverBan: My hamster’s pretty strong too, I’ll send him on a raid.

The internet and community boards exploded with discussion over this one topic.

Many were filled with anxiety, but just as many responded with confidence and bravado.

The Tower of Trials—humanity’s worst catastrophe—had happened more than twenty years ago.

Since then, mankind had continued to advance.

And now—

At the Korean Hunter Association Headquarters in Jamsil,

a cup of coffee sat cold atop the table.

Like the untouched coffee, no sharp solutions were emerging.

“You’re saying we haven’t identified the cause at all?”

The Chairman of the Korean Hunter Association, Han Sangjin, spoke heavily.

“Yes, sir. The same goes for foreign intelligence agencies.”

“The major guilds are also summoning their top-rankers—not because they’ve found anything, but to secure their main forces.”

“The prices of Magic Stones and Healing Potions are fluctuating violently.”

“Damn profiteers. Even now, they’re hoarding supplies?”

“The Alchemist Guild and Mage Guild have begun rationing their stocks as well. Also, we must keep an eye on the Empire.”

At those words, Han Sangjin’s eyes narrowed.

“Of course. Those bastards would see this as an opportunity.”

The ‘Second Impact’—

the phenomenon of entire alien civilizations descending upon Earth.

Humanity had faced five of them before.

‘Only one was handled properly.’

The remaining four civilizations still occupied parts of Earth.

Unlike the three that stayed relatively quiet, the Hestia Empire continued to clash with humanity, requiring constant vigilance.

And perhaps—

…this incident would be far more dangerous than any Second Impact before it.

“For now, maintain full emergency status for the next seven days. Monitor every movement.”

“We’ll reassign personnel and outsource low-tier Dungeons.”

No one knew what would happen.

That was why—

Their core forces had to be preserved.

Han Sangjin gazed out the window at the black rain falling from the sky, lost in deep thought.