Solo Max-Level Newbie

With a chilling slash, the dryad’s body collapsed.

“Ah…”

A short sigh of despair was all that escaped her lips.

It couldn’t have been any other way.

The enemies before her eyes now…

…were monsters that far surpassed her comprehension.

Armor, shields, and even the protection of spirits.

None of it was of any use.

‘I must absolutely not allow them to reach Lady Eusis.’

But that thought was nothing more than a fleeting wish.

With a single, clean slice, the dryad’s head rolled on the ground.

Boom!

The extinguished flame of life put out even her will to fight.

In less than three minutes, all thirty-seven dryads stationed at the entrance of the ruins were annihilated.

Considering they were hand-picked elites from the village, it was an unbelievable outcome.

“How trivial. This won’t even clean the rust off my blade.”

A slender man clicked his tongue in disappointment.

The runes on his dark blade still glowed faintly.

“This mission isn’t for your personal greed. Do not confuse the objective with your personal feelings.”

At the man’s words, a woman with black short hair stepped forward.

Carrying a similarly dark-hued thin dagger, she coolly examined the dead dryads’ bodies.

“Such a chilly reception. Work is always to be enjoyed… No matter how upright you act, they won’t pay any mind to you.”

“You fiend…”

Suddenly, a sharp tension collided in the air.

The magical energy dissolved in the atmosphere was enough to feel the immense pressure.

The Old Guard.

Rankers raised and nurtured with great care by Nyarlathotep within the tower. For thousands of years, they had been the hands and feet of Nyarlathotep, dealing with the tower’s dirty work.

They were faithful hounds and cleaners and at the same time, skilled enough to conquer labyrinths and ruins on their own.

Another man, with his eyes closed, assessed the interior of the ruins.

His sturdy frame and the longbow he carried, taller than himself, were quite impressive.

“The player named Kang Jinhyuk is currently sheltering in a cave from the storm. The count is five… no, six including Jinjo. Hm. They just entered the cave not long ago. Seems they’ve sensed what happened to the dryads.”

“A cave, you say? Isn’t that where a swarm of black scorpions are dormant? Moreover, it’s quite a complex place inside, isn’t it?”

“Oh? Are there any guides among the six? If they’re not like you or Phecis, finding their way through that maze would be impossible.”

Various reactions emerged.

It was hard to understand the nature of Jinhyuk’s reckless actions.

At the same time, curiosity about the outcome he would produce was amplified.

“It seems he too knows of the crown within the Sun’s Sphere.”

The largest of the Old Guard members stood up.

Clank!

His heavy greatsword, over 2 meters long, sheathed on his back.

“We increase our speed, too.”

“Are we going straight to the Sun’s Sphere?”

“No, judging by his movements, he must’ve gone towards the Ghost Ants.”

One way to beat a competitor was to snatch the prize first.

However.

If they did that, they risked being caught from behind or leaving an unpleasant suspicion.

And if, by any chance, he knew a shortcut… it would get even more troublesome.

“We go there, eliminate them, and secure the crown.”

For a perfect mission.

The most certain method was to eliminate the competition itself.

“That sounds fun.”

“Do not kill Kang Jinhyuk. Rick, the middle manager, seems to be quite fond of him as a pawn.”

“I’ll try, but no promises.”

“Well then, understand that all the others can be killed.”

Thud.

Soon after, the four Old Guard members entered the gate.

＊＊＊

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“Kekekekeke!”

The Ghost Ant roared violently, thrashing about.

Its prey was limited in its movements by the sandy terrain.

As such…

Normally, it should have been able to devour it in one bite.

The fight should have already ended long ago.

Yet, this human was irritatingly slippery, evading with agility.

It was as if he was deliberately dragging out time.

[Unique ability ‘Blood Explosion’ activated!]

Boom! Boom boom!

The sand and blood droplets exploded together.

Within the blurred vision, Jinhyuk rushed through the sand with ‘Sword Devil’s Heavenly Ghost Steps.’

Due to the ‘Ant Hell’s’ inherent trait where one sank into the sand, his speed was less than one-third of the original…

…but it didn’t matter.

Anyway, speed wasn’t the most crucial factor in this fight.

Just a bit more…

A little longer…

Jinhyuk continued to gauge the timing.

‘I have to finish this before those outside reach here.’

The elite of Hastings were skilled and well-informed.

The fact that they were aware of the entrance of the ruins meant that they probably guessed the location of the crown, too.

‘And they must have predicted our current position and our intended direction as well.’

He had left markers from the ruins’ entrance to this point using the ‘Eyes of Heaven’ ability.

It was to calculate the distance the enemies moved per hour and infer their average speed.

‘If I calculate… no matter what choice they make, we’ll be one step behind.’

They were much faster than expected.

By at least three levels, they were monstrously superior.

In that case…

He had to choose a direct confrontation instead of shaking them off.

In a more favorable location and circumstance.

Ready to lure them in.

And one condition depended on this very Ghost Ant.

“Kekekekeke!”

The Ghost Ant charged again.

However, it’s worth reconsidering that its vitality seemed exceptionally high.

Despite being hit by the trademark ‘Blood Explosion’ of House Decasus, it was still lively.

Jinhyuk swung his scythe, made of Spirit Wood.

Giggle giggle giggle!

Its eye slit open horizontally and then…

Wooong!

Numerous magic circles appeared in the air.

[6th Circle ‘Aqua Storm’ activated!]

He chose water-based magic.

Rapidly spinning droplets formed a pentagon shape.

It was a grand spell focused solely on destructive power, disregarding everything else.

“Enjoy this refreshing taste.”

Kukukuku…

Streams of water fused into one and rushed towards the face of the Ghost Ant.

Boom!

The huge jet of water completely blocked off his vision.

However…

“Keiiii…eee!”

The Ghost Ant was still unharmed.

Its gaping maw approached Jinhyuk’s face in no time.

Inhaling a breath of putrid, decaying smell sent his senses reeling.

Teeth clamped together in a sick escalation.

It was preparing to tear apart and swallow its prey.

…Now!

The moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

Jinhyuk launched his body through the teeth.

Almost simultaneously.

Click!

The teeth clashed together.

However, by that time, Jinhyuk had already passed through the throat of the Ghost Ant.

Thanks to perfectly timed calculation, there was not a single misstep.

＊＊＊

‘That was too close.’

Jinhyuk let out a small sigh of relief.

He had used Aqua Storm to distract the ant’s vision and Blood Explosion to numb its sense of smell, buying him about 0.3 seconds.

Even a slight error would have turned him into pieces rather than entering its body.

‘These insides are still treacherous.’

His nose burned and felt numb.

Inside the Ghost Ant, it was extremely hot, and the unpleasant stench was overwhelming.

Nevertheless, he risked it all to get what was necessary.

Inner pill.

For a spirit of this size, there’s bound to be a core that sustains its existence over the years.

It’s a crystallization of magical energy, the spirit’s life-supporting heart, so to speak.

He intended to secure this core, which is why he had sent the remaining party members ahead.

‘While I’m stalling for time, they’ll head towards the Sun’s Sphere through the hidden passage.’

Now, just one final hurdle remained.

Jinhyuk followed the pulsating inner walls, heading deeper into the body of the Ghost Ant.

Fortunately, the ant was so large that there was plenty of space for an adult man to pass through.

How long had he walked?

The once dark walls began to brighten, revealing a space akin to a small room.

He had finally reached the heart of the Ghost Ant.

‘There it is.’

The bead harboring venom, hence its black hue, was in sight.

That was the Ghost Ant’s inner pill.

‘Purifying this toxin won’t be simple.’

If entering the creature was the first gate,

purifying the venom surrounding the inner pill was the second.

A careless touch could dissolve a person into blood in less than a minute.

In the past, one of the deities of the demonic realm disintegrated within a week after grabbing the inner pill barehanded.

Jinhyuk cautiously surveyed the surroundings.

Hiss-crackle! Fizz!

The vicinity of the inner pill was scorched black.

The venom was dreadfully potent.

To neutralize it…

Fight fire with fire, or rather, poison.

[Unique abilities ‘Thousand Poisons’, ‘Black Tears’, and ‘Blood Demonic Energy’ fuse!]

Thousand Poisons, which controlled a thousand types of poisons, and Black Tears obtained from the Wailing Witch.

Along with the demonic energy dissolved in the blood.

As these three abilities merged, a dark crimson light erupted.

Kukukuku!

When one attribute was maximized like this, the strain it placed on the body was beyond imagination.

To gain powerful abilities, one must pay an equally great price.

However, in this situation, he had to push through the limit.

Ouch, ouch, ouch!

It felt as though his blood vessels would burn up.

Tremendous pain from the rampaging magic energy spread throughout his body.

Then, at that moment.

[The fusion is successful!]

[You’ve obtained the unique ability ‘Sky-Slaying Thousand Poisons’!]

[Sky-Slaying Thousand Poisons]

Difficulty of obtaining: SS

Description: The myriad poisons that could destroy the sky. Your understanding of numerous poisons present in the tower enhances by 250%. Even the notorious Poison Sect, Sachundangmun, or celestial deities from the upper layers wouldn’t dare to discuss poisons lightly in front of this power.

[The fused ability is stored in the ‘Memories of the World’!]

Good.

“Whew…”

His breathing became much easier.

The veil of venom that had obscured the inner pill was now perceptibly thinner.

Where the toxins flowed, what their compositions were…

He could now perceive everything far more clearly.

As Sky-Slaying Thousand Poisons blossomed, a green glow accumulated at Jinhyuk’s fingertips.

As his hand swept through the air, the venom clustered around the inner pill gradually dispersed.

Slowly…

Almost there, but no room for complacency.

Just a bit more cautiously…

Beads of sweat trickled down Jinhyuk’s forehead.

He didn’t waste a single breath during this delicate, highly concentrated task.

[The venom enveloping the inner pill has completely dissipated!]

Done!

Jinhyuk almost let out an exuberant cry but suppressed it at the last moment.

The time had come to secure the hard-earned result.

But just as he was about to take hold of the inner pill…

Boom!

A violent shock shook his entire body.

“Gah!?”

The shock wasn’t internal.

It came from outside. Something had struck the Ghost Ant.

Chiik!

The smoke cleared, revealing a huge hole made by a forceful gust.

Beyond the one-meter-wide hole…

Four figures in black clothes were revealed.

No doubt about it.

They were the ones sent by Hastings.

“Just my luck… at this timing.”

Even after hastening his pace and calculating their speed,

they had arrived here faster than he anticipated.