Solo Max-Level Newbie

Ba-dump! Ba-dump!

Seeing the flickering status window, Jin-hyuk’s heart began to pound loudly in his chest.

A one-line sentence that outlined a privilege.

Right.

He had kept wondering.

The fact that he had been the first in the world to see the top of the tower but never received any reward.

The reason the system had stayed silent till now.

All of it.

‘Is it because of the idea of giving it alongside the reboot update?’

Jin-hyuk hurriedly looked around.

“This is good. So, how much do we get paid for a day?”

“They give it in coins rather than cash.”

“Well. Mr. Park. What do we do with the coins? Use it to climb the tower again?”

“Porters like us need cash. Hard cash is better than coins which cannot be used.”

Everyone was talking about that.

Then, this…

It must mean that the reward was his and his alone.

“I will check.”

Jin-hyuk softly mumbled.

And then…

[The first privilege is opened.]

[Passive ability 'Monopolize' is activated]

[Monopolize

Description: If you take the final reward alone without sharing, you can get the best possible reward.

Luck Stat is permanently increased by +10

Adaptive stat increased by +10]

[Cold Heart is activated]

[Cold Heart: You will now be able to maintain your composure even in dire situations. However, human emotions will be diluted.]

‘This!’

Jin-hyuk clenched his fists.

Just reading this description alone felt like he had been given the best reward. Things that he never imagined were popping up.

Insane.

Truly insane.

Right. This was…

Optional rewards often appeared in Tower of Trials.

It was an excellent choice to make. In some cases, only one person out of thousands managed to get it. Wouldn’t this skill mean that he would just ignore all probability?

‘Haha.’

Thanks to the many experiences he had accumulated so far, he had developed a personality that wouldn’t be easily surprised.

However, it was difficult to swallow back the cheers that almost erupted from his mouth this time. Wasn’t he biting down on his lower lip already?

‘Luck stats… hopefully, I will get it all.’

Not much of a gap.

In the Tower of Trials, which boasted the highest difficulty level, luck boasted the best efficiency. It could chew up probability with harsh words, and the luck stat would even be able to overturn impossible situations.

‘It is the first time I have seen this Adaptive stat…’

It would allow him to adapt to something, was his best guess. This wasn’t a stat category that existed before.

Even if the last bonus ability was excluded, it already seemed close to fraud.

‘Seeing that the status window no longer pops up, this has to be the end.’

Jin-hyuk carefully checked the reward once again and closed the status window. At that moment, the crew was finishing up their talk.

“300 a day isn’t bad.”

“Not bad? We are risking our life. That means our lives are worth just 300.”

“Tch. Since when did we care about it? Besides, we heard from deputy Oh here that we are participating with a guild with a lot of money this time?”

The eyes of everyone turned to Oh Seung-hwan.

“Right. This raid is a combined battle. Two of the top 10 guilds and mid-level guilds are participating.”

Top guilds.

If they were in the top 10, the ranking should be high. Because the number of guilds around the world exceeded 10,000.

“Besides, there are a lot of solo rankers participating, so we don’t have to worry too much.”

“Solo?”

“Puahahah! We can hide behind them and just carry the stuff.”

“It will take about 3 weeks, so even after deducting the expenses it will be 5,000 for each.”

Everyone burst into cheers at Oh Seung-hwan’s words.

“No. It isn’t over, but let’s end the conversation here.”

“How about a glass of soju with Mr. Pak and Mr. Kim? And pork belly too?”

“Kuak. Soju is good. I remember drinking.”

“There is a story that I know of, so follow me. The skin of the pork belly is so deadly tasty.”

Suddenly everyone was talking about a drinking party.

“You, boy, you will not come? If you want to work hard tomorrow, come grab a glass of soju!”

“I am fine.”

Jin-hyuk shook his head.

Even if he took a good rest now and raised his condition to the highest level, drinking before work wasn’t proper.

Everyone might not know about it, but the ruins of the 1st floor were dangerous.

‘It is nonsense to think it can be cleared just because a few top guilds are coming.’

The future of the raid was already decided.

Annihilation or close to annihilation.

It had to be one of the two.

And

Jin-hyuk’s goal was to find that gap that only a veteran could do in a scenario with a set ending.

Kwang!

A large desk was smashed, and pieces of wood flew around.

“Phew!”

It seemed that the emotions didn’t subside, and the man’s shoulder shook violently.

“This… what kind of bastard!”

The Master of the Black Crow Guild.

Shin Gunsu.

He was in a state of anger at the news that was reported to him. Right, this was it.

A once in a lifetime chance.

He had kicked the ladder to the top in this new world.

It was also because of a mistake by someone he had trusted the most.

“Coins and items invested to attract the Fathers of Fighting Guild… Do you know how much it was?”

“I apologize.”

Park Hajin, who was kneeling on the floor, bowed his head.

“Sorry? Sorry? Does a person who knows how to say sorry act like that?”

Shin Gunsu picked up a golf club.

And he began to beat Park Hajin without mercy.

Kuak!

Puak!

“Ack! Ackk!”

“I fed your sister the most refined Korean Ginseng we had.”

It was called a fortune and could be considered a miracle.

The only Korean Ginseng with a refining rate of over 50% was given to Park Hana.

“You just had to follow along and blow the trumpet when Park Hana got the A rank.”

Violence followed along with shouts.

Puak! Puak!

Back, head and shoulders.

Wherever he could hit, he would ruthlessly continue to beat.

“But, you cannot even do that one thing, right? Uh? Was it that difficult for you?”

Woong!

Kwang!

The gold club hit Park Hajin on the head with the sound of metal breaking and red blood began to drip onto the ground.

“Kuaaa…”

In the end, the guy collapsed. Only then did Shin Gunsu stop hitting and tossed the club to the floor.

“The one who interfered. Who is it? And what does he do?”

“H-his name is Kang Jin-hyuk.”

Kang Jin-hyuk?

A name he had never heard of.

“Rank?”

“…”

Park Hajin didn’t answer. To be precise, he couldn’t answer.

“Didn’t hear? I asked about the rank.”

When Shin Gunsu picked a new gold club, he said.

“… F.”

“F, F?”

For a moment, Shin Gunsu felt like he was being messed around with.

“Hahaha, now this is ridiculous. So, you were beaten by a rookie with an F rank?”

At this point, even if he wanted to get angry, he couldn’t.

“Enough. And the kid will be taking the second test now? Take our men and clean it up. If it is done in the dungeon, there will be no evidence.”

The command to kill.

Shin Gunsu decided to make it.

“I understand.”

Park Hajin clenched his fist. He had suffered because he was careless in the past, but it was different now.

As long as permission was given, he could move with B-rank players of the guild.

‘I for sure want to… no, I will play with you as long as I can and then kill you.’

Park Hajin was already thinking about how Kang Jin-hyuk would cry and beg for his life.

The following day at 4:30am.

Jin-hyuk headed to the meeting place at the Tower of Trials.

“You are here, Mr. Kang?”

“Come here!”

It wasn’t even sunrise, but the porters and miners had arrived. Since it was necessary to allow players to focus on battles, the non-combat type people had to move diligently.

Even deputy Oh Seung-hwan couldn’t be seen yet.

‘Well, that man was just brokering.’

Instead, there were far more porters waiting than yesterday.

About 10 minutes later, someone’s voice could be heard.

“Ahem! Ahem! Kim Kyung-yeol, in charge of food. You can call me Captain Kim.”

A man in his early 50s introduced himself.

“Our job is to deliver food and other supplies for the 300 raiders for a week. In terms of weight, it would be 70-80 kgs a person. It will not be easy, and we are on a tight schedule, so let us all do our best. At this time or another, when again would we get to work for 300 a day?”

Captain Kim spoke his piece, and most of the porters’ faces distorted.

“Damn it. That will be heavy.”

“We are going all out. Aren’t we supposed to take it easy?”

“Still, as time goes the weight will decrease, so…”

“Do not gossip. Go to the front of the truck, pick your items up, and be here by lunchtime.”

People grumbled but no one cared because the contract was signed.

Soon after, the porters were handed out heavy-looking backpacks.

“F…fuck.”

“Ahem!’

People’s faces were distorted as if they were carrying the weight of the world.

“Now. Take it. There are no exceptions for F class here.”

Captain Kim handed Jin-hyuk a backpack as well. However…

‘Um?’

Jin-hyuk, who was carrying the backpack, tilted his head.

It was light.

Too light.

‘Almost… like it’s not on my body.’

But did this make sense?

His level was the same as when he cleared the labyrinth.

After the Mangrove tree, he had never increased his stats even once, and this backpack of 70kgs cannot be light.

No.

Something flashed through his mind and he immediately activated his status window.

—

Name: Kang Jin-hyuk

Gender: Male

Age: 27

Level: 1

Strength 8 agility 8 Stamina 8 Magic 11 Rift 100 Luck 10 Adaptive 10

Stat Points: 0

Coins: 12,740

Occupation: None

Unique Ability: Fusion

Skills: Lv2 Element of Fire, Lv Eye of Truth, Lv1 Communion, Lv2 Stigma of the Soul, Lv1 Manipulation, Lv1 Shallow Breath.

—

Just one thing.

Had changed.

The 3 perks from the words that had been given to him in the second update reward. And among them was the last status whose purpose was unknown.

[Adaptive Stat +10]

Right.

It was that.

‘As I am a porter, I’ll get used to it, and it feels light to me.’

Assuming that, the front and back made sense now. Besides, if you get an effect like now in battle or other times…

It was a stat that was superior to Rift or Luck.

It was then he realized.

Wait.

Wait a moment.

‘Isn’t this a stat given only to those who saw the top of the Tower?’

Although the odds were too low, there were ways that a person could get the other stats.

However, this Adaptive stat was an exception.

‘Ah…. There is no one else that can get it.’

Only one.

Only him.

And as he thought that, goosebumps rose all over his body. It seemed like he had gotten the best prize of his lifetime.